Heroes and Legacies Book 4: Deliverance
by pegasusdmac
Summary: Lexie's family has been pressuring her to join the Hunt, and when she disappears at the hands of the Rebellion, CJ and a Hunter of Artemis must work together to get her back.
1. Chapter 1

1. I Get a Disturbing Call

I loved winter break. It was the one time of year when my parents, even my mom, took two whole weeks off work for the holidays. We celebrated both Winter Solstice and Christmas at my house. Twice the presents, it was great.

I also enjoyed the city during winter break. Manhattan was never more alive than it was in late December. Central Park was awesome with a dusting of snow, and I loved to take my dog, Iolaus, to the park to play in the fluffy white stuff. Nic and I used to have snowball fights and go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center during our little vacation from school. Unfortunately, we didn't hang out last winter like we used to, and so far this winter the story was the same.

On the bright side, though, Noah was coming to the city for a few days to spend Winter Solstice with Uncle Nico and Aunt Rachel, so I'd get to hang out with him. We were pumped about it.

Another thing I loved about winter break: I got to stay up late playing video games or watching movies every night and sleep-in every morning.

Two days before the Solstice, I finally got to sleep around one a.m. and was awakened an hour later.

"CJ," I heard a voice say. "CJ."

"Hmm," I groggily muttered without opening my eyes.

"CJ!"

I jumped awake. Who the heck was in my room?

"What? Who's there?" I asked as I grabbed my sword in pen-form off the nightstand and flipped on the lamp.

"It's Lexie," she said.

"Lexie?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around my room where I saw her at the foot of my bed in an Iris message. I blinked and looked at the clock. "Lexie, it's two in the morning."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, CJ. I forgot about the time difference." She was in San Francisco; it was only eleven o'clock there. "I'll let you go back to sleep," she croaked.

"No, it's okay. I'm awake now. Wait, are you crying?" I asked noticing how red her eyes were and the moisture on her cheeks. "What's wrong, Lexie?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to do."

"About?"

"I got ambushed by Mom, Dad, Uncle Jason, and Artemis today. They think it's time I joined the Hunt."

I was at a loss for words. I knew this might happen; I just didn't want it to. "…Oh," I said, finally.

"That's it? That's all you can say?" She shook her head. "I shouldn't have called you."

"Lexie, wait. I'm sorry. It's just…I guess I'm still not fully awake yet. So, I assume from your crying that you don't want to join?"

"No, that's not it."

"Then you do want to join?" I asked.

"No…yes…maybe. Ugh, I just don't know. I need your advice, CJ. Do you think I should do it? Do you think I should join the Hunt?"

What I wanted to say was _hell, no! _If Lexie joined the Hunt, she'd be gone from my life again. It would be like it was when we were eight. I'd lost her when she moved back to Miami, and I didn't want to lose her again, especially not now. I hadn't yet sorted out my feelings about her, but they were strong, and just the thought of her leaving me was already breaking my heart. Of course, I couldn't tell her that. The Hunt was actually a great opportunity for her. She'd gain immortality. That would be huge, and I'm sure not many people could turn it down.

"I can't make that decision for you," I told her.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do…and I always know what to do. It's frustrating, and it's…big. Too big."

I wanted to help her. I wanted to comfort her somehow. "Come out here," I said without really thinking, but it was a good idea nonetheless.

"To Manhattan?" she asked.

I nodded. "Come spend Christmas with me. Get away from the pressure. You can think about it out here. I won't pressure you. Like you said, it's big. Come out here and relax for a few days so you can really think about it then make your decision."

Her face brightened a bit. "Your parents won't mind?"

"Are you kidding? My parents love you. They'd be happy to have you come out for Christmas, and so would I. What do you say?"

She thought about it for a second then nodded. "Okay, I'll do it."

I smiled. "Great. In the meantime, try not to worry about your decision. I hate seeing you cry."

She gave me a little smile. "I'll try. Thanks, CJ. Now go back to sleep. I'll see you soon," she said, then waved her hand through the message to disconnect us.

Back to sleep? How was I supposed to go back to sleep after a bombshell like that?

I tossed and turned the rest of the night and rolled out of bed when I smelled coffee brewing in the kitchen. I slipped on a long-sleeve tee shirt with my pj pants and made my way downstairs. Mom was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"You're up early," she noticed. "Juice?"

"Coffee," I said, grabbing a mug out of the cabinet.

"Rough night?" she asked, probably noticing the dark circles under my eyes.

"You could say that," I said as I spooned sugar into my coffee.

Dad walked into the kitchen as I sat down at the breakfast bar with my coffee. He ruffled my messy hair as he walked by and went over to Mom to kiss her on the cheek. His hair was damp, so I guess he'd just gotten out of the shower. He poured himself a cup of coffee, and when he turned to me, he blinked.

"You look like crap, Chase," he observed.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Dad."

"Nightmares?" he asked with a little concern noticeable in his voice.

"I had a visitor in the middle of the night."

That got Mom's attention. "I beg your pardon."

"I got an Iris message from Lexie. She was upset."

"What happened?" Dad asked.

"Her family thinks she should join the Hunt."

Mom shrugged. "Not surprising, really. Thalia was a Hunter for a while, and Artemis is Lexie's aunt. No doubt they want her to join."

"But she's not sure what to do. She wanted my advice, but I didn't know what to tell her. I asked her to come spend Christmas with us so she could think. I hope that's okay."

"That's perfectly fine, CJ," Mom said. "But you should probably prepare yourself, because she may very well join. The Hunt is in her blood. She'll no doubt feel a strong sense of duty toward that part of her life. And it's a great opportunity for her. She'll get to walk in her mother's footsteps as a Hunter."

"Immortality must be pretty tempting, huh?" I said.

"You have no idea," my parents said at the same time.

Mom grinned. "There are times, like when your father's being an ass, that I regret not joining the Hunt."

Dad clutched his chest mockingly. "Oh, you hurt me when you say things like that."

"Wait, you were going to join the Hunt?" I asked her.

She nodded. "I thought about it."

"Why didn't you?"

"She couldn't leave me," Dad grinned. "I had her wrapped around my finger even then."

"In your dreams, Seaweed Brain," she said, and I cringed at the use of her pet name for him. "I was afraid that if I left you unsupervised, you'd get yourself killed."

"Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that," Dad smirked as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "But I know the truth," he said in her ear. "You couldn't resist me."

"Stop it," I insisted. "Or I'm gonna puke."

Dad started nibbling on her neck, and she giggled like a little schoolgirl. It was disgusting.

"Seriously, I'm gonna be sick if you two don't stop."

The doorbell rang, and Mom pulled away from Dad. "I'll get it," she said.

"Thank the gods," I said.

Dad grinned. "What's wrong, Chase? Can't handle your mom and dad's cheesy love story?"

"If you and Mom love each other so much, then why do you two bicker and fight all the time?" I asked.

"So we can make up."

Whoa! Too much information! "Gross!"

Dad laughed. "Hey, you walked right into that one, son."

I grimaced. "Ugh, sorry I asked."

Mom walked back into the kitchen with red headed woman and a tall, light brown-haired teenage guy. "Look who I found at the door," she smiled.

"Noah!" I gave my best friend a manly hug. "I didn't think you were going to be here until tomorrow."

"Change of plans," he smiled.

"Hey, Aunt Rachel," I said to the redhead, and gave her a less manly hug.

I turned back to Noah. "Hey, guess what. Lexie's coming to town, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I said and waved him to follow me upstairs to my bedroom. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it."

Mom called after us. "Breakfast in half an hour, boys."

"Okay, Mom," I called back.

When we got to my room I flipped on my game console so we could get in some first-person shooter before breakfast.

"So, Lexie's flying in?" Noah asked as he parked his butt on the foot of my bed.

"Yeah, she's coming to spend Christmas with me."

"So, does this mean you two are together now?"

"What? No," I said then told him the reason she was coming to Manhattan.

Noah sighed. "Aw, man, I'm sorry. I know how you feel about her."

"It's not a done deal. She might not join."

"Maybe you should just tell her how you feel. At least she'll be able to make an informed decision if she knows how much you really care about her."

"I...I don't know if I can," I said.

"You're afraid she doesn't feel the same way, and you don't want to make an ass of yourself."

"Speaking from experience, Noah?"

"Possibly."

My phone beeped. I had an email. It was Lexie's itinerary.

"Her flight out of San Francisco leaves tomorrow. She has a connection in Dallas, then her plane will land at LaGuardia at five."

"You know," Noah said. "It's kinda strange that we'll all be together in the winter."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "So what about you? How long are you staying in the city?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure. Nico and Rachel said I could stay with them until school started back if I wanted to."

"They're good people. You're lucky to have 'em."

"Yeah, I know. I'm still not sure why I have them, though. Why Nico chose me of all people to take in."

I knew why. I'd overheard Mom and Rachel talking about it once. Apparently Nico thought Noah was the third incarnation of his sister who died when they were kids. Nico wasn't a hundred percent sure that was the case, but he was sure enough that he and Rachel decided they would look after Noah and do whatever they could for the guy. They got him into a boarding school in Jersey, they spent time with him on school breaks, and they treated him like one of their own. Like I said: good people.

Now I wasn't about to tell Noah any of this, because it would freak him out, so I just shrugged. "Nico's weird." And left it at that.

"Speaking of Nico and Rachel," he said. "I need your help with something. I need to get them Solstice gifts, and I'm terrible at picking out gifts."

"You want me to take you shopping?" I asked.

"Uh, if you have the time."

"Yeah, it's no problem. I actually need to do some holiday shopping myself. I still haven't gotten my mom anything yet, and I should buy Lexie a gift, too. What do girls like anyway?"

"Jewelry," Dad said as he poked his head in my room. "Nothing fancy, just simple and meaningful. And breakfast is ready."

Noah looked at Dad hopefully. "Blue pancakes?"

Dad nodded. "A whole stack of 'em."

"Awesome."

After breakfast, Noah and I hit the streets to do some last minute holiday shopping. And we weren't the only ones. Stores were packed with people buying Christmas gifts.

"They're just so hard to buy for," Noah complained as he searched for a gift for Nico and Rachel. "I mean what do you get for people who have everything?"

He had a point. They were super-rich—well, Rachel was anyway. She'd inherited her father's company when he died a few years ago. She was worth like a bazillion dollars, and though she and Nico weren't married, they'd lived together for many, many years and what was hers was his and vice versa.

What did Dad say about gifts? Simple and meaningful.

"Oh, I have an idea," I said pulling my phone out of my pocket. I scrolled through pictures until I found the one I was looking for and showed it to Noah.

"Hey, that's a good one," he smiled. The picture was of him, Rachel, and Nico making goofy faces and posing with their concert tickets at Madison Square Garden. I took the picture during spring break.

"Let's get it printed up and framed," I said. "I think they'd like that."

"Yeah, I think so, too. Thanks, CJ. I knew you'd come through for me."

"Now it's your turn to help me find something for Lexie."

After we got the photo printed and framed, we went to Tiffany to see if I could find something for my mom and Lexie. As we were browsing, I found a nice pair of earrings for Mom, but I was still on the lookout for the perfect gift for Lexie. It wasn't long before I found it. It was an arrow.

I pointed at the small gold arrow charm hanging on a gold chain necklace. "What do you think, Noah? Think she'd like it?"

He nodded. "Oh, yeah, that's perfect. Simple and meaningful."

I bought it.

…

The next morning, the morning of the Winter Solstice, Mom, Dad, and I exchanged a few gifts. Dad loved his screen-printed tee shirts I got him. One read _My Brother is a Cyclops_ and the other _I'm the Horse Whisperer_. I get him goofy shirts like that every year. He'd get new loafers for Christmas, which Mom picked out, because apparently I sucked at picking out shoes.

Mom loved the earrings I bought at Tiffany yesterday. I decided I'd give her the leather bound sketchbook with her name embossed on the cover to her on Christmas. I got a video game from Dad and clothes from Mom. All in all it was a good Solstice morning, and soon we'd be off to meet up with Nana and Grandpa for brunch like we always do on the Solstice.

The day seemed to drag on. I guess it was because I was so anxious to pick Lexie up from the airport. I hadn't seen her in person since the end of the summer, and I missed her. I think I was just as nervous as I was excited. We hadn't spent time together—just me and her away from camp—since we were little kids. I hoped the time she'd be spending here would go great, and maybe, just maybe she'd decide not to join the Hunt. But if she did join, well, we'd at least have this time together first.

A little before four, I figured I'd better get going to the airport, because traffic to Queens was liable to be bad. I grabbed the keys to my Jeep and was about to walk out the door when Dad stopped me.

"If you want to keep her in your life, you've got to tell her," he said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

"I'm talking about Lexie," he said. "When I thought your mother might join the Hunt, I panicked. I hadn't yet told her what she meant to me, and it scared me to death to think I could lose her like that, without her knowing. Thank the gods it was Thalia who joined and not your mom, but I gotta tell you, son, it could've easily gone the other way."

"I don't know if I can tell her anything, Dad. I'm not even sure how I feel about her. And what if we do get together and things don't work out? I'll lose my friend, and I can't lose her, Dad."

"But what if it does work out? You can't just think about the risks, Chase. You've got to think about the rewards, too."

"I don't have that same reckless abandon you have."

He grinned and shook his head. "No, you're more like your mother that way. You think too much. But you know, it was her that made the leap, not me. I was too tongue-tied to get the words out. And I really should thank her for taking that leap of faith and trusting that it would all work out, because I don't know what I'd do without you two. Take a page from her book, Chase."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. You just have to decide if she's worth it, because if you don't do something to stop her, she'll choose immortality. It's like Mom said: it's in her blood." He smiled then scooted me out the door. "Just think about it. And get going. You don't want to be late."

I thought about what Dad said on the drive to LaGuardia. He was right. I'd have to do something. It was her decision to make; I wasn't going to make it for her, but I could show her how important she was to me and let her know how much I'd miss her if she left me. I decided right then that I was going to make this the best Christmas she'd ever had.

Once I was at the airport, I waited near the baggage claim for Lexie, and it felt like I'd been waiting forever. I checked the time; it was 5:45. She should've been here by now. I walked around to all the baggage lines to see if I could find her, but all I found was her luggage—a black suitcase with the letters SPQR embroidered in gold on the front. I grabbed it, then went straight to the Delta terminal where I waited in line for nearly twenty minutes.

When I finally made it through the line, the lady at the desk asked, "How can I help you?"

"My friend was supposed to be arriving at five. Her luggage made it, but I can't find her anywhere," I told the woman.

"Do you know which flight she was on?"

I pulled out my phone and opened the email Lexie had sent me. "Here's her itinerary," I said and showed the information to her.

"Let me check on that," she said and began typing on her computer. "Well, her ticket was scanned at San Francisco International, but it was never scanned at Dallas/Fort Worth. It looks like she missed her connection."

Fear clenched my heart like a vice. Lexie didn't miss flights or get lost in airports or things like that. She was a traveler; she knew her way around airports. She probably made a half a dozen flights to San Francisco, Miami, and Long Island every year. If she missed her connection, then something was wrong.

"Could you call her, maybe?" the lady asked.

"She doesn't have a cell phone," I said, and the woman looked at me funny, because everyone had a cell phone, so I made up a story. "She thinks the radiation in the phone gives you brain damage."

The woman shrugged. "She may be right. Well, let me see if she if she made a later flight." The woman began typing on her computer again. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't look like she boarded another plane. She may still be at the Dallas airport."

I shook my head. "Something's wrong."

I know the woman could tell I was worried and upset, because she went out of her way to help me. "Tell you what," she said. "I'll make a call to our terminal at Dallas and see if they can locate her or have airport security keep an eye out for her. The process may take a while, because as you can see, we're swamped with holiday travelers. Why don't you give me you're phone number? You can go on home, and I'll give you a call when I hear something."

I wrote down my name and number on a sheet of paper, and she gave me her business card. She looked at the paper and said, "We'll find her, Chase. Don't worry."

I gave the woman my thanks even though I knew they'd never find her. It was up to me to find her. I rushed out to my Jeep and tossed Lexie's luggage into the backseat. I made for a little spray-bay carwash in Queens where I could send out an Iris message. I put a couple quarters into the machine, turned on the sprayer nozzle near my Jeep's headlights, and when I could see a rainbow in the misting water, I tossed in a drachma and asked the goddess Iris to connect me to Alexandria Grace.

I got nothing. I tried again, and this time I got a message from the rainbow goddess herself. "Your call cannot be completed at this time. Please try again later."

What? I'd never had an Iris message not go through. This was bad, really bad. I'd been so worried about Lexie joining the Hunt, but now I was worried in a whole new way; I was scared for her life.

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**


	2. Chapter 2

2. Another Legacy Pops Up

I must've set a new record for the quickest time from Queens to the Upper West Side as I drove home. I took every shortcut I knew to get there fast. When I burst through the door to my house, I saw my parents sitting at the dining room table.

"Something's happened!" I shouted.

"We know," Mom said and held up a sheet of paper. "A messenger dropped this off a few minutes ago."

I sat down at the table, and Mom handed me the paper. It was a ransom note. The letters were cut out from magazines and glued to the paper like the ransom notes you see on TV. It read: _Chase Jackson, We have the daughter of Apollo and are willing to trade her for your alliance. Bourbon Street in New Orleans by Christmas Eve or she dies. Barka_.

"The Rebellion has her," I said and stood up from the table. "I have to go."

"Whoa, slow down, Chase," Dad said.

I was on the edge of panic and could barely breathe when I said, "I have to find her, Dad! They'll kill her! That's what they do; they kill demigods."

"I know you have to find her, son, but at least get some help. Noah's in town, so have him go with you. You don't have to do this alone." He knew he couldn't stop me from going, and he didn't want to stop me. He'd been in situations like this before. He knew I had to go, but he was also a worried father. He knew how dangerous the Rebellion was, and he wanted me to have help on this quest.

I immediately called Nico and Rachel's apartment. Rachel answered the phone. "Aunt Rachel," I said. "Can I talk to Noah, please?"

"Sure. One second."

Noah picked up the phone and said, "Hey, CJ. What's up?"

There was no since in beating around the bush. "Lexie's been kidnapped by the Rebellion."

"I'll be right there," he said and hung up. He didn't like to beat around the bush either.

I had one more person to call. I really didn't want to call her, but she might know something. She might've had a vision or a premonition about Lexie's kidnapping.

"Yeah," she said loudly when she answered, and I could hear kids yelling and the TV blaring in the background.

"Morgan," I said. "It's CJ."

"Marcus! Get control of your brother!" she shouted, then turned her attention back to me. "CJ, I'm kinda busy babysittin' my brothers right now."

"This is important," I insisted.

"Miles! Get down from there! Sorry, CJ, gotta go. My little brother's tryin' to climb on top of the fridge."

"Morgan! Morgan, don't you dare hang up on me!"

Click.

"Bitch!"

"Hey, watch your mouth," Mom scolded.

"Sorry."

"CJ, I know you're worried out of your mind. I've been in your shoes, believe me, but you need to sit down and clear your head. You can't go into this guns blazing. You'll only put yourself and Lexie in more danger if you do."

She was right. She was always right. I needed to get a game plan together. The Rebellion wanted a trade; they wanted my alliance. That was only going to happen as a last resort, so I needed to figure out how to rescue Lexie without having to turn myself over to the Rebellion. If that didn't work, if joining the Rebellion was the only way to save Lexie's life—though I would never support their cause—I was prepared to do it.

Dad handed me a can of Dr. Pepper, and I sipped it as I waited for Noah to arrive. Three days, I thought as I paced the kitchen floor. I had only three days to travel halfway across the country and rescue Lexie. I was so deep in thought and worry that I didn't even hear Noah come in, but I felt his hand on my shoulder, which stopped my pacing.

"Thanks for coming, Noah," I said.

"No thanks needed," he said. "She's my friend, too."

Noah and I had just sat down at the dining room table when my dog began to growl. Then he barked—a mean, angry bark.

"What's wrong with him?" Noah asked me.

"Uh, I'm not sure."

Iolaus's growl got louder, and he went apeshit when the doorbell rang. That had me freaked out. He was usually good with people, so it must not have been a person at the door.

Mom could tell something wasn't right with the way our terrier was acting. She grabbed a celestial bronze dagger from a drawer in the kitchen. "I'll get the door," she said. "You boys stay here."

Dad followed her out of the kitchen, which made me feel better. Mom could handle herself in a fight. She was kind of a badass, but it was nice to know Dad would be there to back her up. I'd pulled my pen from my pocket and transformed it into my Greek xyphos, and Noah had drawn his katana from its sheath.

"What do you think it is?" Noah asked me.

"I don't know, but I'd say it's nothing good."

I couldn't see into the foyer from the kitchen, but I could hear Mom talking to whoever it was at the door, and I could hear Iolaus still growling and Dad trying to hush him.

"Come on in," I heard Mom say.

My little white ankle-biter came rushing into the kitchen and took point in front of me. He was all bristled up and still growling a low rumble. He had his back to me and was crouched and ready to attack.

"That's some guard dog you have there, CJ," Noah laughed. It _was_ kinda funny. Iolaus was barely twenty pounds, but he had the big-dog syndrome. He was a Doberman trapped in a Westie's body.

When my parents walked into the kitchen with our guests, I could see why Iolaus was so fired up. One of them was a two-hundred-pound timber wolf who was eyeing my dog like he'd be a tasty snack. The wolf's master was a young girl with wavy black hair and slight Hispanic features, and she was wearing a white parka and silvery camouflage. My blood began to boil. What the _hell _was a Hunter of Artemis doing here?

"CJ, Noah," Mom said. "I'd like you to meet Lily Valdez, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis."

The little girl looked from me to Noah to Iolaus, then she grinned. "You boys can put away your swords," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you…or your little frou-frou dog."

"Tell your wolf to back off," I said, pointing my sword toward the beast.

She stared me down for a minute, but I wasn't budging on the issue. Finally she relented. "Echo," she said to the wolf, and it looked up at her. "Stand down."

The wolf nodded in acknowledgement and went to the far corner of the kitchen where it turned a few circles then laid down.

"Happy now?" she asked me.

I collapsed my sword back into pen-form. "Satisfied," I grumbled.

"Such a charmer," she snarked, then looked around the kitchen. "Where's Alexandria?"

"Not here," I said.

"I was under the impression she'd be arriving here today."

I raised my eyebrows. How did she know that? "And who told you that?" I asked.

"That's none of your concern."

"And Lexie's whereabouts is none of your concern," I said, not very politely I might add. Don't get me wrong, my parents taught me manners; I wasn't usually disrespectful to strangers, but this girl was a Hunter, no doubt here to take Lexie away from me, so she got none of my respect.

"As her future lieutenant, her whereabouts are very much my concern."

"She hasn't made a decision about the Hunt yet," I clarified for the Hunter. "And until she does, you need to stay out of her business."

"Hypocritical much? You're not staying out of her business, so why should I? I'm here to keep you from ruining her life."

"I'm warning you, little girl. Stay out of this," I threatened.

"Don't you _dare_ call me little girl again," she hissed. I think I pissed her off. Good.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" I asked with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "What are you, twelve? What do you think you can do about it, _little girl_?"

Three quick moves was all it took for the not even five foot-tall, eighty-pound girl to have me in a headlock. "I'll have you know I'm twenty years-old, and I could snap your neck right now if I wanted to."

"Go for it," I gagged. "Won't do you any good. You can't break my neck."

She tightened her grip on my neck. "Are you calling me feeble?"

"No, I'm calling you ignorant."

I got a fist in the face for that comment and went sliding across the kitchen floor. I was laughing out loud as I got to my feet. She thought she was going to give me a shiner. She was wrong.

"Is that all you got?" I asked with a huge grin on my face.

"You…" she hesitated and took a step back. "That punch should've knocked you out cold. You don't even have a mark where I hit you."

"Maybe you are feeble," I taunted.

She was about to lunge for me again, but Dad stepped between us. "Ooo-kay, that's enough, you two," he said.

The Hunter bowed her head to him. "I attacked your son in your own home. I apologize for my behavior. It was wrong of me."

"Damn straight, it was," I barked.

"CJ!" Mom snapped. "You apologize to her, too."

"But," I began to protest.

"Now!" she ordered.

Well, shit. "Sorry," I muttered to the Hunter.

"Everybody go to the living room," Mom said. "I'll order some pizzas. It looks like it's going to be a long night."

We all settled in the living room, which looked like Santa had thrown up in it. Dad always went a little overboard with the Christmas decorations. Noah and Iolaus stuck close to me, Echo settled in near the fireplace, and Dad kicked back in his recliner. Mom walked in a few minutes later.

"The pizzas will be here in a bit," she said as she took a seat on the sofa where the Hunter was sitting. "So, Lily…gods, I haven't seen you since you were little bitty," Mom shook her head in disbelief. "And now you're all grown-up and Artemis's lieutenant."

"All grown-up," I chuckled under my breath. She looked like a pre-teen.

Lily eyed me. "I stopped physically aging when I joined the Hunt, but I assure you, I _am_ all grown-up, _son_." She spit that last word out to annoy me. It worked.

"How are your parents?" Mom asked her to keep me from saying anything else.

"They're good. They're still out in Houston. I don't get to see them much, but I stop by whenever I can. Hopefully Hailey will be ready to join the Hunt soon."

"Hailey? That's your sister, right? How old is she now?"

"Yeah, my little sister. She's thirteen."

"Wait a second," I interrupted. "Mom, how do you know this Hunter and her parents and her sister?"

"Her parents are Leo and Hazel Valdez," Dad said. "They fought with us in the Giant War all those years ago. We're still friends with them today."

"No way!" Noah gaped. "Your dad's the mad-genius son of Hephaestus Leo Valdez?" he asked her.

I rolled my eyes. "And her mom's the Roman hero who freed Hades and set fire to Tartarus. Yes, we're all very impressed."

Lily narrowed her eyes at me. "You're just begging me to come across this room and kick your immature ass, aren't you?"

"Bring it," I dared her.

She tilted her head and leaned back, crossing her arms. "You're not intimidated by me at all," she noticed. "That's strange, because most are. Like your friend here." She pointed at Noah. "He knows I can hurt him."

I turned to Noah, and he shrugged. "I'm not gonna call her a liar," he said.

"Don't mind CJ," Mom told Lily. "He can be a bit pompous about his invulnerability sometimes."

"_Mom_," I whined. "I was saving that revelation for later. You ruined it."

Mom had no sympathy. "Oh, cry me a river, CJ."

Dad was snickering in his recliner. I'm sure this was all very entertaining to him.

"Invulnerability?" Lily asked me.

"It's a curse," I said.

"The only invulnerability curse I know of is the curse of…" she paused, and her eyes drifted toward Dad. "Achilles," she finished.

Dad nodded. "It was passed from me to my son."

She turned back to me. "Does this mean you're the child of prophecy? _The cursed one with pure birthright?_"

I confirmed her question with a nod. "Impressed yet?"

"Terrified, actually. If the fate of the world is in your hands, I'm certain we're all doomed." She was teasing now. I could tell by the way her voice had changed, but Noah didn't catch it. He went on the defensive.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Noah barked. "You don't know CJ at all!" That was a best friend for ya. I couldn't have asked for a better one.

Lily held her hands up in surrender. "Easy, killer. It was just a joke."

"So, Lily," Mom said. "You're here to make sure CJ doesn't talk Lexie out of joining the Hunt?"

She nodded. "Something like that. The Hunt is where Alexandria belongs. She's already been living the life of a mundane demigod for far too long." Mundane demigod? Was that an oxymoron?

Mom turned to me. "Do you want to tell Lily or should I?"

I shook my head. "It's none of her business."

"Maybe she can help. Hunters are resourceful, you know?"

"Noah and I can handle it," I insisted.

Lily was confused. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Maybe your mom's right," Noah said. "Maybe Lily can help."

"Ugh, not you, too," I grumbled at Noah.

"Hey, man, I'm just sayin'."

"Lexie was kidnapped by the Rebellion in Dallas sometime earlier today. She's being held for ransom in New Orleans. They'll kill her in three days if their demands aren't met," Dad announced. I guess he was no longer entertained.

"Dad!" I scoffed.

"Sorry, son, but she deserves to know. And don't be so quick to judge a Hunter. I did once, and I came to regret it."

Lily's jaw was agape. "You're just now telling me this! And how do you know this?"

Mom retrieved the ransom note and handed it to Lily. "When CJ went to the airport to pick up Lexie, she was a no-show. This was delivered shortly before you arrived."

Lily read the letter then looked at me with disgust. "So, this is all your fault?"

"Yes," I admitted, because it was my fault. The Rebellion wanted me, and they were using Lexie as bait. "And I'm going to fix it. It's my job to fix it. She's one of my people and my friend. I'm going to get her back."

The Hunter stared at me for a moment then nodded. "I believe you. But I'm going with you."

"That's not necessary," I said.

"She's my responsibility…or she's soon to be. Lady Artemis would never forgive me if I let something bad happen to her niece, so I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

The doorbell rang, and Dad jumped up from his recliner. "Pizza's here."

We gathered around the dining room table to eat pizza and discuss strategies for getting Lexie back.

"Well, for starters," Noah said around a mouthful of pizza. "How are we going to get to New Orleans? We can't fly."

"Why can't we fly?" Lily asked.

I hooked a thumb toward Noah and said, "Son of Prometheus."

"Really?" she said with surprise. "Wow. Yeah, so I guess flying is out. Zeus would knock us out of the sky before we even got to cruising altitude."

"Maybe the train?" Noah suggested.

I shook my head. "Too slow. Too many stops. Remember how long it took us to get to Athens?"

"Yeah, you're right," he said.

"Athens?" Lily asked.

"Georgia, not Greece," I said then turned to my dad. "Dad, you've quested all over the country. What do you think?"

He shrugged. "I think you've got a Jeep. Drive down there."

"Percy!" Mom scoffed. "He's not driving that piece of crap Jeep all the way to Louisiana. Make him take the Volvo."

Dad turned to me. "You heard your mother. You're taking the Volvo."

I laughed. "Alright."

"So, what about the rest of it?" Noah asked. "How are we going to get Lexie back?"

"That's easy," Lily said. "We trade CJ for her."

"Uh, no," Noah responded. "Not happening."

"That's exactly what has to happen," I said. "I'll turn myself over to Barka and insist on seeing Lexie safely released. When he takes me to where he's holding her, you two can discretely follow, then bust us both out."

"How do you know he'll be holding her somewhere?" Lily asked. "He might just have her there on Bourbon Street."

"No, that's bad strategy. Too many people in the French Quarter. It'd be too easy for us to escape him in the crowd. He's not stupid. He'll be holding her someplace quiet where their operation will go unnoticed," I explained and saw my mom smiling at me approvingly.

"Where might he be holding her?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure," I said. "I've never been to New Orleans, so I just don't know. That's why I called Morgan. I was hoping she might've seen something in a vision that would give us a clue as to Lexie's exact location."

"What did she say?" Noah asked.

"Nothing. She hung up on me."

Noah shrugged. "Not surprising."

"Wait, who's Morgan?" Lily asked.

"Camp Half-Blood's Oracle," Noah answered.

"Oh," she said. "And I take it she likes CJ about as much as I do?"

"Maybe less," he said.

Lily smiled. "I like her already."

"Could we get back on subject, please?" I asked. I was sick of hearing about how much I was disliked.

"Right," Lily said. "Well, I could contact Alexandria via Iris message. She might be able to tell us where she's being held."

"I've already tried that," I said. "That was the first thing I tried. The message won't go through. The goddess couldn't connect me. The Rebellion must be jamming the signal somehow."

"Is that even possible? Blocking an Iris message?" Noah asked.

"Mhm," Dad nodded. "Happened to me once or twice."

"Well, it looks like CJ's plan is the only way to go," Lily conceded.

"It's settled then," I said. "We should get going."

"Oh, no, you don't," Mom said. "It's already late, and you three should get some rest before you hit the road."

I wanted to protest, but I knew she was right. It had already been a long day, and I definitely didn't need to be falling asleep at the wheel.

"Okay," I said. "We'll get a few hours sleep first. Once on the road, we can drive in shifts."


	3. Chapter 3

3. We Drive the Little Volvo Toward the Big Easy

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of Lexie.

"Let go of me!" she snapped at the guy who had her by the arm, dragging her along as she struggled against him. It was her cousin, Jason Finn, who had her in his grip.

He pushed her through a doorway and into a small empty room. I'd never seen a room like it. It was about the size of a small bathroom, maybe eight feet by eight feet, and the ceiling hung fairly low. The floor, ceiling, and walls were made of stone, and there were no windows.

"This bitch is a handful," Finn said to Barka who was standing in the middle of the tiny stone room.

Lexie was able to slip Finn's grip, and she turned on her heel and punched her cousin in the nose. Barka quickly grabbed her, and Finn backhanded her across the face in retaliation. She yelped at the hard blow to her cheekbone.

Barka looked a little disgusted by Finn's action. "Do you feel better now, big man?" he asked a bleeding Finn.

Finn wiped the blood from his nose, but didn't say anything.

"See?" Barka said to Lexie. "This is why I don't do business with family."

Lexie began to struggle against Barka, but he tightened his grip on her. "Hey," he said. "Behave."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" she spat. "If you were going to kill me, you would've done it already."

"Don't tempt me," he warned her then pushed her to the floor where she landed hard on her side. "We're going to leave you here to cool off. Guards are posted outside, and as you've noticed, your powers won't work here, so an escape attempt would be useless. But if you feel the need to try, be warned my guards are authorized to use lethal force to stop you. Have a good night, Alexandria Grace," Barka said, then he and Finn walked out of the cold, dark room, locking Lexie inside.

I must've been screaming when I woke, because Lily—who was sleeping in the guest room down the hall—came rushing into my bedroom with her bow drawn.

"What's wrong?" she asked in the three a.m. darkness.

I flipped on the lamp sitting on the nightstand and said, "At ease, lieutenant. It was only a bad dream."

She lowered her bow. "Oh."

I sat up in bed and ran my hands through my sweat-drenched hair. After a few deep breaths, my heart began to slow its racing pace. I looked over at the Hunter who was still standing in my bedroom doorway. She was staring at me, and I realized I was half-naked; all I had on was my pj pants. I grinned internally. A Hunter of Artemis was checking me out. How many guys could say that?

"Is there a problem?" I asked her in hopes of embarrassing the heck out of her.

It worked. She blushed fiercely and turned away. "No, no problem," she said. "But you should get dressed. We should be getting on the road."

I couldn't argue with her there. I'd already slept an hour longer than I'd intended. "Yeah, sure," I said. "I'll meet you downstairs in ten."

She nodded then left my room, closing the door behind her. I changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, slipped on my sneakers, and grabbed a parka out of my closet. I put my sword in pen-form in my jeans pocket, strapped my shield in bracelet-form to my left wrist, and grabbed my loaded backpack then I headed downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen where there was a steaming pot of coffee waiting. I had programmed the coffee maker before I went to bed. I poured three travel mugs full, and Noah and Lily both graciously took a mug.

"Ready to go?" I asked them and got nods all around.

I grabbed the keys to Mom's Volvo and headed for the door. Lily, Noah, and Echo had already walked outside, and I was just about to lock the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my mom.

"Good luck, sweetie," she said then kissed my forehead. "I love you."

I wrapped my arms around her. "Thanks, Mom, and I love you, too."

We loaded our packs into the trunk of Mom's pearl white Volvo, then climbed in. Noah sat up front with me, and Lily took the backseat.

"Your wolf isn't coming?" Noah asked Lily when he saw that Echo hadn't gotten into the car, but instead had taken off.

"She doesn't like cars. She'll travel on foot," Lily explained.

"Can she keep up?"

"She can bend distance. She could be in New Orleans before dawn if she wanted to."

"Seatbelts," I said as I started the engine and pulled away from my house to begin our long road trip.

"CJ," Noah said. "I'll take second shift driving, but I gotta get a little more sleep."

"Yeah, go for it, man. That seat leans back, and it's got a butt warmer if you're cold."

Noah turned the heated seat on high and tilted the seat back where he'd be more comfortable. He was asleep in minutes. I scanned through radio stations until I found one playing classic rock—Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones. I kept the volume low so it wouldn't wake Noah.

We'd been on the road for about an hour when I looked into the backseat through the rearview mirror to see if Lily had dosed off, too. She hadn't. "You alright back there?" I asked Lily who was being awfully quiet.

"Fine," she said.

"Hot? Cold? Comfortable?" I asked. I would adjust the temperature controls if she needed me to.

"Comfortable, thanks," she said, then after a long pause she spoke again, "It was nice of your mother to let us borrow her car."

"Yeah, it was. Especially after what happened to her last car."

"What happened?"

"I totaled it," I said.

"Oh, my gods. How'd that happen?"

"The Mares of Thrace wanted to play demolition derby. Mom's car paid the ultimate price."

She laughed a little. "You know," she said. "We Hunters were on the Mares' trail after they escaped, but they were dispatched before we caught up to them. So it was you who killed them?"

I wished I could've taken all the credit, but I had to give credit where credit was due. "I actually only killed one of them. Dad killed the other three. I couldn't exactly draw my sword and drive at the same time."

"You couldn't use any powers to overcome them?" she asked. Wow. This chick was really out of the loop. I guess the Hunters of Artemis didn't concern themselves with things outside their own little circle.

"I don't have any powers," I told her.

"None?" she gaped. "But you're the chosen one."

"True, but I'm also mortal. The curse is the only thing that sets me apart from any random clear-sighted mortal. Most legacies don't have any powers. You should know that."

"I do know that," she confirmed. "Neither me nor my sister inherited any godly powers. I just assumed, because of the prophecy, that you were an empowered legacy."

"Nope, just a cursed one."

It was quiet between us for a while, but Lily broke the silence by saying, "Oh, uh, I should probably tell you that I won't be able to take a shift driving."

That didn't really surprise me. She'd been a Hunter since she was twelve, and I highly doubted Artemis taught driver's ed. "Noah and I can rotate. It's no big deal."

"You're being considerably more amiable than you were when we first met," she observed. "Why the change?"

"Well, I'm not usually a jerk," I explained. "I was just upset about Lexie's kidnapping. You caught me at a bad time."

"Fair enough," she nodded. "So tell me, what's the story between you and Alexandria?"

"Could you please not call her that? She hates being called by her given name. She prefers Lexie."

"Okay. So what's the story between you and Lexie?" she corrected herself.

"Her mom and my parents are close friends. I met Lexie when we were eight; she and her mom had moved into the apartment building my parents and I were living in. Lexie and I quickly became best friends. We did everything together: played together, trained together, went to the same school, had sleepovers. We were inseparable…or so I thought."

"What happened?"

"She moved back to Miami with her mom, and it was six years before I ever saw her again. Three years ago we were reunited at Camp Half-Blood."

"Did things go back to the way they were between you two?" Lily asked. "Are you still best friends?"

"I consider Lexie and Noah to be my two best friends in the world, but no, it didn't go back to the way it was when we were eight. Things are different now."

"Oh, I see," she said. "You're in love with her."

I choked on my coffee. "What gave you that impression?" I coughed.

She shrugged. "You just seem to care about her a great deal."

"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm in love with her."

She apologized, "Sorry if my assumption was off. I'm not exactly familiar with the emotion."

I was _so_ ready to change the subject. "Can we talk about you now?" I asked. "What's your story? Why the Hunt?"

"I wanted to be a hero like my parents. Unfortunately, being a mortal legacy didn't give me that opportunity. The Hunt did. When I was twelve, a recruiter named Phoebe came to talk to me about joining, and I knew immediately that being a Hunter of Artemis was my destiny. I told my parents I wanted to join the Hunt, they were supportive, and a week later I'd taken the oath and become a Hunter. That was eight years ago."

"When did you become lieutenant?"

"Four years ago. I was appointed the position when our lieutenant, Gabriella—the Hunter who took over as lieutenant when Lexie's mother left the Hunt—was killed in battle by an upstart militia leader named Collin Barka."

"Oh, gods. The Rebellion."

She nodded. "So you see, I have just as much invested in this quest as you do."

"I didn't know the Hunters were being affected by the Rebellion, too."

"They've killed four of our demigod Hunters and have stolen many of our prized recruits to their cause. Apparently this Barka is quite the salesman," she explained.

"He's definitely a smooth talker," I confirmed.

She blinked. "You've met him?"

"A few times," I nodded. "Along with his right hands Finn and Mason."

"Why didn't you kill them?"

"Murder them, you mean?"

"It's not murder; it's justice," she insisted.

"Either way, it's not my style. I'm not comfortable with the idea of killing human beings."

"And if they kill Lexie?" she asked.

My throat tightened at the thought. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it happen."

"Will you try to stop me if I attempt to kill them?"

Lily had reason to want them dead. We all did. How she'd seek out vengeance for the loss of her Hunters was her business. "No," I said. "You do what you have to do. I won't stop you."

There was silence after that, but I could feel her staring at me. It was like she was studying me. "What?" I finally said. "Are you checking me out again?"

"I beg your pardon," she scoffed. "I have done no such thing."

"You know, for a Hunter who's supposed to hate guys, you were looking at me awfully hard."

"I'm just a bit fascinated by how much you look like your father," she said. "And unlike most Hunters, I don't hate guys. I've never had a reason to. Well, at least not until I met you."

"Aww, you're so sweet," I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "You are such a brat."

I laughed, but let her have the last word. I really didn't need to be on her bad side. As much as I didn't want to admit it, she'd be an asset on this rescue mission. If I wanted to get Lexie back without turning myself over to the Rebellion, I'd need all the help I could get. Barka would be expecting some sort of trick on our part. He was too smart to expect a simple trade, but maybe he wouldn't be expecting a Hunter of Artemis to be in my corner.

At dawn, I pulled off the highway and stopped at a gas station.

"We need fuel?" Lily asked.

"No," I said. "I have to take a leak, and I need breakfast."

"Me, too," Noah said as he stirred in his seat. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

We all got out of the car and were walking toward the convenience store when my cell phone began to ring. It was playing the chorus from that Puddle of Mudd song _She Hates Me_.

"That's vulgar!" Lily scoffed.

"Let me guess," Noah said. "Morgan?"

"Yep," I said, then answered the phone. "Morgan, you're up early."

"Where are you?" she asked urgently.

"Uh, a gas station just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I'm heading to New Orleans."

"Yeah, I know. Is it snowin' yet?"

"Snowing? No."

"Tell that Hunter to keep her wolf close by, get back on the road as soon as you can, and dammit, CJ, I wish you would've taken your Jeep."

I blinked. What the heck was she talking about? "Morgan, you're not making any sense."

"I'm an Oracle. When does an Oracle ever make any sense? Now give the phone to Noah," she ordered.

"What? How do you know Noah's with me?"

"Just give him the damn phone."

I offered Noah my cell phone. "She wants to talk to you."

Noah hesitantly reached for the cell phone. Cell phones and demigods or demititans usually just created problems—monstrous problems. When he finally took the phone, I went into the store. First, I hit the restroom to relieve myself, then I bought breakfast and drinks for all of us.

When Noah walked into the store, he handed my phone back to me, then headed to the restroom.

"Is everything alright?" I asked him.

"I'll meet you at the car in a minute, then we can talk," he said. "And get me a couple of those sausage and biscuits. I'm starving."

Once we were back on the road and munching on our greasy gas station breakfast, I asked Noah about what Morgan had said to him.

"She said she had crazy dreams all night. She saw Lexie in a stone cage; she saw a blizzard, an Egyptian pyramid, and black magic. Oh, and she saw sasquatch…or maybe it was the abominable snowman."

"Is this Oracle of yours on crack?" Lily asked.

"Better watch how you talk about Noah's girlfriend," I smiled, and Noah gave me the stink-eye.

"You're dating an Oracle?" Lily gaped at Noah.

"No, she's not my girlfriend."

"Not yet, but we're working on changing that," I said.

Noah glared at me. "Maybe you should work on your own relationship status, instead of worrying so much about mine."

"Hey, right back at ya, bro."

"Uh, are you sure you two aren't dating each other?" Lily laughed.

"Oh, ha-ha, you're hilarious," I mocked laughter. "Isn't she funny, Noah?"

"Hysterical," he deadpanned.

"Well, since neither of you appreciate my sense of humor, maybe we can try to figure out what your Oracle's dreams mean?"

"Alright," I said around a mouthful of breakfast burrito. "Well, I know what she meant by Lexie being in a stone cage."

"You do?" Lily asked.

"You do?" Noah repeated.

"I had a dream about it myself. Finn and Barka locked Lexie in a room that was made of stone—brick, marble, concrete, I'm not really sure. It was pretty dark."

"Do you remember anything else about it?" Lily asked.

"It was small, had a low ceiling, too. Oh, and they said her powers wouldn't work there."

"What can inhibit powers?" Noah asked.

"Spells, witchcraft, magic," Lily listed. "We have a daughter of Hecate in the Hunt. She specializes in sorcery."

"Voodoo," I suggested and got skeptical glances in response. I explained, "New Orleans has always been a hotbed for the practice. Voodoo magic originated in Africa and was brought to French Colonial Louisiana during the slave trade. In the past century, it's been commercialized as hoax magic for the tourists, but the real practice still exists behind closed doors. Real voodoo rituals can vary from simple herbal potion creation to serious dark magic and curses."

"Uh…" Lily gave me a sideways look.

"He does that sometimes," Noah told her. "That overactive brain of his is like a super-absorbent sponge."

"Get that from your mom?" she asked me.

"Affirmative," I said to the lieutenant, then cursed at the windshield.

"What?" she asked.

"It's snowing," I answered. "Morgan said this would happen."


	4. Chapter 4

4. Mom's Gonna Be _So_ Pissed

I pulled over and let Noah drive. I needed to get some rest before we drove into the blizzard I knew was coming. Morgan might not have been good for much, but her sight was trustworthy. If she said there was a blizzard in my future, I believed her.

Lily climbed into the front passenger seat, and I sprawled out in the backseat while Noah drove through the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland, heading southwest on Interstate 81. It took me a while to get to sleep, because my mind was sprinting a million miles an hour, but by the time we made it to Maryland, my mind was give out. I drifted off without even knowing it.

Dreams are strange things. I'd expected to dream of Lexie or dream of the quest ahead of me, but instead, I dreamed of the past. And not my past, either. I dreamed of my mom when she was a teenager about my age.

She was anxious and worried beyond belief; that's what her face said. She was missing something. Something had been taken from her, and it was important enough that she'd stop at nothing to get it back.

It was cold in my dream, much as it was in real life. The cold didn't bother me, but I could feel its bite. Mom was bundled up in a heavy down jacket and had a toboggan on her head, her blond curls draped down her back. Her cheeks were rosy, and I couldn't tell if it was from the cold or because she'd been crying. She was walking through the woods—woods I didn't recognize, and before long she came face to face with a girl wearing a silver parka and silver camouflage pants. The Hunter of Artemis with a circlet nested in her spiky black hair hugged my mom, and for a brief second, I thought it was Lexie. But the girl who resembled Lexie was actually her mom, Thalia Grace.

"He's gone," Mom croaked into Thalia's shoulder. "He just disappeared."

"We'll find him," Thalia assured her. "Percy's resourceful. He'll be okay until we find him."

Mom shook her head. "You don't know that. What if he's hurt or…"

"Don't think like that, Annabeth. He's got the curse of Achilles. He's fine. You gotta believe he's fine or you'll drive yourself crazy with worry."

Mom wiped away her tears. "I think I already have."

"Listen, I'll help you look for him. I'll have all my Hunters help in the search."

"Artemis won't mind?"

"Artemis respects Percy," Thalia said. "She'll allow us to help."

"Thanks, Thalia."

"You'll get him back, Annabeth."

"How can you be so sure?" Mom asked her.

"Because I know you. I know you'll never give up and do whatever it takes to get him back."

I woke when the car came to a stop. Well, that dream was familiar. I was going through the exact same thing with Lexie right now. I rubbed my eyes and sat up in the back seat.

"We need gas," Noah said, then got out of the car to pump it.

"Where are we?" I asked Lily.

"Virginia. You were asleep for a few hours."

"No blizzard or sasquatch yet?"

"Not yet, but the snow's been getting heavier the further we travel."

"Great," I groaned as I stretched. "Where's Echo?" I asked. Morgan had said to make sure the wolf stuck close by.

"She's close. She sticks to the timber and stays clear of the highways, but she's nearby. Why do you think my wolf is so important in all this anyway?"

I shrugged. "I don't know yet, but when the Oracle tells you to do something, you don't ask questions."

"You take orders from a girl that you hate?"

"I said the Oracle, not Morgan; there's a difference. And I don't hate her. She just annoys me. Kinda like you."

"Are you always this grumpy when you wake up?" Lily asked.

"Not always, but often."

"Dreams, huh?" she guessed. I'm sure she knew all about dreams; it's a hero thing.

"I need a Red Bull," I said as I opened the car door. "You want anything?"

"I'll take a Red Bull, too."

I walked into the store to pay for the gas and get a few Red Bulls and a Sprite for Noah. I also grabbed some snacks for us to munch on. When I walked back out to the car, Noah had gotten into the backseat so I could takeover driving. I slammed my first Red Bull, then pulled the Volvo back out onto the interstate.

The snow was heavy. I had to turn the wiper blades on high and activate the car's traction control system because the road was getting slick. Now I understood what Morgan meant by wishing I'd taken my Jeep. I was wishing I'd taken it, too. It was four-wheel-drive and designed for bad road conditions like heavy snow. Mom's Volvo sedan, not so much.

The interstate snaked its way through a hilly national forest—I didn't catch the name of it; the snow was too heavy to read the sign. I'd slowed down considerably, because driving conditions were becoming extremely hazardous. I'd already seen several vehicles that had slid off into the ditch or median from the slick roadway. I was driving through a full-on blizzard, but I couldn't stop. I wasn't about to let snow keep me from rescuing Lexie. Bigfoot in the rearview mirror on the other hand…

"What in the name of the gods is that behind us?" I gasped.

Noah and Lily both turned to look at the monster that was bearing down on us from behind.

"It's sasquatch!" Noah yelled.

Bigfoot and sasquatch myths, like most strange sightings are simply misidentifications. Clear-sighted mortals catch a glimpse of a Greek monster, and rumors begin to fly. Those rumors create myths and urban legends that are based on the sightings of ancient monsters. I knew the beast that was chasing us wasn't sasquatch, but I had no idea which Greek monster it was. I could understand how the Bigfoot myth stemmed from this creature, though. It was nearly eight feet tall and ran on two legs like a man, but it had distinctly bear-like features: fur-covered body, long claws, and huge carnivorous teeth.

"Agrius and Oreius," Lily said.

"What? There are two of them?" I searched the mirrors, but only saw one chasing us.

"In the air," Lily pointed out the window. "Agrius is in his vulture form."

Sure enough, there was a giant turkey vulture circling overhead.

"I knew I shouldn't have touched that cell phone," Noah grumbled. It was a safe bet that the monsters found us because he'd used a cell phone. It happened to my parents once in a while.

I was driving as fast as I could without losing control of the car. The snow was coming down so hard that I could barely see five feet in front of me. Add the slick road and we were a car crash waiting to happen.

Lily rolled down her window and began firing arrows at the beast. She was able hit him a few times, but he barely flinched. She must not have hit anything vital.

"The wind is screwing with my aim," she complained, and I thought to myself that Lexie would've never made an excuse like that; she would've simply compensated. But then again, there weren't any archers that were as good as Lexie.

"He's gaining on us, CJ!" Noah warned me.

"Is there anything you can do?" I asked him.

"Uh…you got any matches?" Noah could do some wicked stuff with fire, but he couldn't create it. He needed an outside source of ignition.

Lily blinked. "Matches?"

"Yeah," I said to Noah. "In my pack…which is in the trunk."

"Not helpful."

Oreius was closing fast; he was only seconds behind us. I tried to speed up, but I was already on the brink of losing control of the car. "We may have to stop and fight this thing head on," I said.

I didn't get a chance to stop the car. The poor visibility caused by the blizzard didn't allow me to see the semi-truck and trailer that was jackknifed in the middle of the interstate. I only had time to yell a warning.

"Get down!" I yelled just before Mom's Volvo slammed into the trailer.

The car skidded under the trailer frame as the windshield and roof tore away with the sound of breaking glass and crunching metal. The trailer sat high enough up off the road for the bottom half of the car to pass under, but not the top half. Mom's Volvo sedan was now a convertible. If we hadn't ducked into the seats, we'd have lost our heads, literally.

When the car came out on the other side of the truck, it was in a spin, and my heart stopped when I saw Noah fly out. Being ejected in a car crash is not a good thing. Statistically, it's deadly. The seatbelts were ripped out when the top half of the car was chopped off, and Noah had nothing to grab onto to prevent the inertia from slinging him out of the car. I had a death grip on the steering wheel to keep from being tossed, and Lily had a death grip on me.

Mom's car finally came to a stop when it careened into another car. It was only then that the airbags deployed, knocking Lily out cold. I was on my own with the two monsters that were chasing us, but all I could really think about was Noah. I was terrified that my best friend was lying in the snow either dead or dying.

I cut away the airbag with my sword, and quickly climbed out of the car. I was surprised to see that Bigfoot wasn't right there waiting for me. Apparently he didn't see the truck and trailer either and had slammed into it like we had. The monster wasn't dead, but it was lying on the ground beside the trailer. I sprinted over to the beast while it was still incapacitated and sliced my sword through its neck. It turned to dust before my eyes, and the vulture overhead let out a loud screech. I was expecting the giant bird to dive-bomb me, but it just kept circling high above.

"Vultures are scavengers," I heard Lily say in a weak voice. "He won't attack. He'll wait until we're dead before he eats us."

I turned to see the Hunter hobbling toward me. I grabbed her before she fell. "You're hurt," I said.

She blinked her big brown eyes repeatedly. "No, I'm fine, just a little dazed from the impact."

I helped her back to the car where I brushed away the broken glass in the backseat and made her sit down. I used my sword to pry the damaged trunk lid open. I grabbed my parka from the trunk and wrapped it around her. "Call your wolf and stay here," I told her. "I'm going to look for Noah."

Lily pointed to the sky. "Follow the vulture. He'll be circling over Noah."

That made my stomach flip. Vultures circled carcasses. I didn't want to think about the possibility of Noah being dead.

I called Noah's name as I trudged through the snow. I went to the spot where I thought he'd been thrown, but I couldn't find him. Finally, I looked to the sky and followed the vulture. It was circling a brushy wooded area about a hundred feet off the shoulder of the interstate, and that's where I found my best friend.

The snow around his body was stained red with blood and his clothes were ripped and torn to shreds where he'd skidded across the ground and through the thick brush. I closed my eyes tight and took a deep breath; I wasn't going to cry. I composed myself then knelt beside him. I checked to see if he was breathing and if he had a pulse. Thank the gods he was alive.

"Noah," I said. "Noah, can you hear me?"

He let out a weak groan, but didn't open his eyes.

"I'm here, Noah. I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay," I promised. I took off my sweatshirt and put it under his head so his face wouldn't be in the snow. "I'm going to get help, Noah. I'll be right back."

I ran as fast as I could back to the car where Lily was gathering our gear from the trunk while Echo stood sentinel. She looked like she'd recovered from the accident.

"I found him!" I announced.

She turned to me and blinked. "Gods, aren't you freezing?"

"What?" I asked, then I remembered I was only wearing a tee shirt now. "No, the cold doesn't bother me."

"Oh. Is Noah alive?"

"Yeah, but he's hurt, and I'm afraid to move him. He needs a healer."

"Well, he's in luck, because I happen to be a pretty decent healer."

We gathered our things and left Mom's car behind. This was the second car of hers I'd destroyed. She was going to be so pissed.

When we got to Noah, Lily went to work. She poured nectar on his worst wounds and set and splinted his broken leg. "He may have internal injuries," she said. "But I can't be sure. We've got to get him someplace warm. If we don't, he'll go into shock."

"Is it safe to move him?" I asked.

"Safer than staying here. Hypothermia will kill him before the injuries do if we don't get him out of the snow."

"Okay. So what do we do?"

"Do you think you can carry him?" she asked me.

Noah was bigger than me, so even if I could carry him, I couldn't do it for long. "I don't think I can," I admitted.

"We need a stretcher or a sled or something," she said as she looked around for something useful.

A sled, I thought and remembered one of the stories Dad had told me about using a shield as a sled once. I tapped my bracelet, and it transformed into my polished silver hoplon-style shield. "Will this work?" I asked.

Lily nodded. "I think so."

I carefully strapped Noah into the concave of my shield while Lily fashioned a harness around Echo. She hitched the wolf to the makeshift sled, and Echo was able to drag Noah along easily.

"Well," Lily said as we walked through the national forest and away from the interstate and the circling vulture. "Your Oracle was right about needing Echo."

"She was right about a lot of things," I said. "But I wonder why she didn't warn us that Noah would get hurt."

"I think she did. Well, I think she warned Noah, anyway. While you were sleeping, he seemed nervous, like he was just waiting for something bad to happen."

That was typical Noah. If he knew he might get hurt, he'd still come along on the mission. He was in it through thick and thin, and he'd never tell me he was at risk, because he wouldn't want me to worry or to leave him behind. I was still angry, though. Morgan should've told me, too.

"You don't like being in the dark, huh?" Lily said.

"It's counterproductive," I grumbled. "How can I make informed decisions when I don't have all the information? How can I keep my people safe when they hide things from me?"

"Spoken like a true leader. The fact is, CJ, you can't. And secrets will always be there. You just have to do the best you can."

"And what happens when my best isn't good enough?"

She gave Noah a glance then answered, "Then you suffer the consequences."

We'd been walking for about an hour when we came up on a shallow cave in a hillside. It offered protection from the howling wind and snow, but not the cold.

"This cave will do," Lily said. "I'll put up the tent inside."

I unhitched Echo from the sled while Lily set up the tent that she had in her pack. How a tent fit in that little pack, I'll never know. Lily was finished in moments, and she helped me drag Noah into the large, silver silk tent and out of the elements.

The inside of the tent was not at all what I was expecting. I'd been camping before, so I knew what a standard tent was like. This was not a standard tent; it was a few steps down from a luxury hotel room. Had it been equipped with a bathroom, it would've been right on par with one. I suppose the Hunters liked to camp in style.

Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor and there were three pallets made of feather mattresses for us to sleep on. A small brazier of fire burned smokeless in the center of the tent making it nice and toasty inside.

We got Noah settled onto one of the pallets and began cutting his clothes off him so we could clean and bandage his many cuts and abrasions—some severe. I poured nectar onto the cuts and wrapped them with gauze while Lily resplinted Noah's broken tibia. Once we'd treated his wounds, we wrapped him up in blankets to keep him warm.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked Lily as we settled into our own little beds.

"I don't know," she said. "He really needs ambrosia. I wish he'd wake up long enough to eat some."

Noah had been unconscious since I'd found him. I knew it wasn't a good sign that he hadn't woken up, but maybe now that he was treated and warming up, he'd finally wake up.

"I'll take first watch," I told her. "You get some rest. I'll wake you if he stirs."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, there's no way I'll be able to rest with him like this."


	5. Chapter 5

5. Trust Issues

Noah woke up a couple of times over the next few hours. We fed him ambrosia and made him drink nectar during his short bouts of consciousness. He was pretty out of it when he was awake. He likely had a concussion to go along with his other injuries, but he was beginning to look a ton better. His natural color was returning, and his cuts were healing rapidly. His broken leg, however, was healing much slower. A broken bone won't heal in a few hours even with ambrosia. It would be tomorrow before he could put any weight on it.

Lily and I had just dug into some rations when my phone beeped. I had a text message from Morgan. It read: _Is he okay?_ I was furious. She _did_ know something bad would happen to him.

"Excuse me, Lily," I said. "I have to make a call. I'll be right back."

"Who are you calling?" she asked.

"I'm calling the united organization of it's-none-of-your-damn-business."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

I walked out of the tent and made a phone call. Morgan answered on the first ring. "Please, tell me he's okay." She sounded upset.

"He's hurt, Morgan!" I scolded. "He could've been killed! What were you thinking not telling me he was in danger?"

Morgan and I had never really gotten along, but I trusted her. She rarely lied to me about anything. Even when the truth hurt, she let me have it—all of it…until now. She hid vital information from me, which in my mind was the same as lying to me.

"I…" she hesitated. "Look, he didn't want me to tell you, okay?"

"Bullshit! You never planned on telling me at all!"

"Stop yellin' at me, CJ! You had enough to worry about with Lexie's kidnappin'. I told Noah to turn around and go back to New York. I told him somethin' bad would happen to him if he stayed on the quest. It ain't like I didn't warn him."

"You knew that wouldn't stop him from staying on the quest. Dammit, Morgan, you know him better than that. If you would've told me, I'd have made him stay behind. I would've left him at that gas station in Harrisburg if I had to."

"I thought I was doin' enough by tellin' him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry he got hurt." She sounded really upset now, like maybe she was crying, and I felt like crap for yelling at her.

I took a second to calm down then tried to reassure her. "He's gonna be okay, Morgan," I said, though I still wasn't completely sure of that. "It was scary there for a while, but he'll pull through."

There was silence for a few long seconds, and I thought the call had been dropped. "Morgan? You there?" I asked.

"Yeah, uh, good. That's good news," she said, finally.

This whole thing with Noah really had her rattled. She definitely wasn't talking like the Morgan I knew. "You really care about him, don't you?" I said.

"What do you think, jackass?" And she was back. "Just take care of him for me, CJ. Can you handle that?"

"I'll do my best, but it's kinda hard when you keep secrets from me. Is there anything else I should know, Morgan? Are you keeping anything else from me?"

"No, I've told you all I know. I promise. I'll call you tomorrow if a have any more dreams or visions," she said then hung up.

I looked at the time and battery level on my phone. It was six in the evening, and I had about fifty percent battery-life left. I decided to power-down the phone, since I had no way to charge it. I might need it later for an emergency. I walked back into the tent and settled down near the fire.

"Everything alright?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I could hear you yelling outside."

"It's fine," I repeated. I didn't want to get into my unpleasant conversation with Morgan. It wasn't any of Lily's business anyway.

I'd just opened a bag of M&Ms when Noah groaned and rolled over, looking up at me. "I'm hungry," he murmured.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. I could finally release all that pent-up worry and breathe easy now. Noah was back to himself. I gave him my bag of M&Ms. "Glad you're back, bro," I said.

He gave me a weak smile. "Good to be back."

He tried to sit up, but winced as he did. Lily gathered some pillows for him to lean against as I helped him sit up.

"What in Hades happened? Where are we? Where are my clothes?" he asked. "And is my leg broken? Because it hurts like it might be broken."

"Yeah, it's broken," Lily said as she gave him a square of ambrosia to eat. "I was able to set it, though. It's healing nicely. You should be able to walk on it tomorrow."

"Oh, thanks. And my clothes?"

"Ripped to pieces. We had to cut them off you to treat your wounds."

Noah blushed. "How embarrassing."

"The car crashed into a semi-trailer when the monster was chasing us. You were ejected," I told him. "We found a cave, and Lily set up a tent for shelter."

He rubbed his forehead. "I remember the monster, but I don't remember the crash or anything else after."

"Yeah," I nodded. "You were pretty out of it there for a while."

"How long have I been out?" he asked with a mouthful of M&Ms.

"About five hours."

He spit half-chewed M&Ms across the tent. "Five hours! We should get moving again!"

He tried to get up, but Lily stopped him. "Easy, Noah. You should try to stay still," she told him.

"But Lexie," he said then turned and looked right at me. "We have to get Lexie back!"

"We will, Noah, but we've gotta get you well enough to travel first," I said.

"No, you don't understand. They're going to kill her, CJ!" He was kinda freaking out, and I wasn't sure why. I mean, we all knew the Rebellion had Lexie and that they'd threatened to kill her, so why was he acting like this was news?

"I know," I said and put my hand on his shoulder to calm him. "The ransom note said they'd kill her if I wasn't on Bourbon Street by Christmas Eve. We've still got two days."

He shook his head. "I don't think we have that long."

Now I was kinda freaking out. What did he know that I didn't? "Why do you think that?"

"I…I saw things when I was out of it. Dreams, I guess. I saw Lexie," he said.

My heart began to race. Dreams were serious business. They were warnings. "What did you see?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes like he was trying to remember what he'd seen. "The dreams were all mixed up and fuzzy, but I remember a few specific things. There was an invitation to a Christmas ball. The date on it was December twenty-third. I saw Finn. He was wearing a tux, and he was angry about something—really angry. Then I saw Lexie. She was in a stone room like you said. The room was cold, and she was really cold. She was talking to someone like she was trying to reason with him. I think it was Finn, but I can't be sure. That part was really fuzzy, but I could feel the tension. I just…I have this bad feeling that something goes wrong then."

"Does he kill her?" I asked him, though I was scared to hear the answer. Finn was Lexie's cousin, but he didn't harbor any familial feelings for her. In fact, he seemed to truly hate her and have it out for her.

"I…" he paused.

"Does he kill her?" I asked again. My voice didn't sound like my own. It was loud and forceful and frightened. The frightened part I could understand, because I was terrified.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out," he said. "We need to get there and stop it from happening. We need to get moving."

We got Noah dressed and wrapped up in some blankets then strapped him into the concave of my shield again. We would have to travel on foot until we could find some sort of transportation, and because Noah's leg hadn't healed yet, he'd once again have to be pulled on the sled by Echo. He didn't complain about it, though. He kept telling the wolf to mush and saying he felt like he was in the Iditarod, only slower. I think all the ambrosia might've made him a little loopy. Echo didn't seem to appreciate being treated like a sled dog, but she'd just snort, growl, and keep on pulling Noah along through the now inches deep snow.

It was dark, and the snow was still falling. The wind was howling, and even with flashlights, we couldn't see very far ahead of us because of the whiteout conditions. The wolf wasn't bothered at all by the conditions; this was her element. She led us along like she knew right where she was going, and Lily assured me she did.

We'd been trudging through the snow for a couple of hours when I saw lights through the trees. A few moments later, we emerged from the forest onto a road, and just down the road was a truck stop. Maybe we could find a ride there. There were about a dozen haulers in the parking lot. We'd need to find one that was headed west to stowaway in.

"CJ," Lily said when we reached the truck stop. "Go into the store and grab us some hot chocolate and something to eat. Noah, Echo will stay here with you and stand guard. I'll go find out which truck is headed in the direction we need to go."

"How will you do that?" I asked.

She smirked. "Looking like a sweet and innocent twelve year-old has its advantages sometimes. I'll pretend to be the store clerk's daughter or something and just ask around like I'm a curious little girl."

I went into the store and got us three tall cups of hot chocolate and dinner plates of fried chicken. When I walked back outside, Lily was talking to a trucker, and he looked very annoyed by the questioning little girl. Noah was still bundled up on his sled, and he took a cup of hot chocolate with a shaky hand.

"Thanks," he said with chattering teeth.

"Are you cold?" I asked him, and he nodded.

I didn't know much about being cold. I could feel a chill on my skin in extreme cold, but it didn't debilitate me like it did normal people; my curse made me invulnerable to things like hypothermia, frostbite, and aches associated with being cold. I'd read about the effects of the cold on the body, and it sounded unpleasant. I imagine it was nearly unbearable for Noah since he was injured, and his body was fighting to heal as well as stay warm.

"Hang in there," I told him. "Hopefully we'll be out of the elements soon."

I leaned against the brick wall of the truck stop that was blocking the blowing snow, sipping my hot chocolate and waiting on Lily. About ten minutes had passed when she came walking up to us.

"Any luck?" I asked her.

"Some. Knoxville, Tennessee is the closest anyone is going to New Orleans."

I shrugged. "Better than nothing. How soon?"

"He's rolling out in an hour," she said then pointed at a yellow semi with a white trailer. The signage on the trailer read: _Greco Stringed_ _Instruments Worldwide_. "The driver just walked into store, so we'd better get into the trailer while he's not looking."

We snuck around to the back of the hauler, and I was able to open the cargo door; luckily it wasn't locked. Getting Noah up into the trailer was an event, and his cursing let me know it was a rather painful event for him. Once we were on board, Lily told her wolf to follow the truck, then I closed the cargo door.

We settled into a space of empty floor behind a stack of boxes that—according to the labels—were filled with electric and acoustic guitars. I wasn't a musician nor had I ever aspired to be, but I did have an appreciation for the art. Lexie would've loved this, though. She was a pretty good guitarist, and she had an incredible singing voice. She said she got the talents from her father. That thought made me wonder if maybe Apollo had arranged this ride for us. Maybe the god was helping his daughter by helping us. I hoped that was the case, because at this point, we could use all the help we could get.

We'd just finished eating our fried chicken when I heard the trailer door rattle. The driver was securing the door before he got out onto the road. A few moments later, the semi's engine roared to life and the truck and trailer lurched forward. The driver was a brave guy for taking to the road in the middle of a blizzard; like us, he must've had a deadline he couldn't miss.

"How long will it take to get to Knoxville?" Noah asked.

"It'll depend on how fast the driver is able to go. Hopefully we'll be there before morning," I said.

We used blankets, clothes from our packs, and our jackets to make the floor of the trailer more comfortable for the long trip, and Noah and Lily wrapped themselves up to stay warm. It was much warmer inside the trailer than it was outside, but it was still cold.

"Try to get some rest, guys," I said. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."


	6. Chapter 6

6. Tennessee Train

I didn't get much sleep. I kept having the strangest dream. I was standing on the snow-covered bank of an enormous river with a great Egyptian pyramid towering to my right. The river was swift and muddy and the pyramid gleamed glassy and blue-gray through the falling snow. I truly doubted Egypt looked anything like what I was seeing in my dream.

Standing next to me was a man. He was a young guy—early twenties, probably. He had shaggy blond hair and wore a long, white lab coat over his jeans and black tee shirt with a guitar logo and the words _BB_ _King's Beale Street Blues_ printed on the front. He reminded me of a mad scientist.

"You Greeks are always in a pickle, aren't you?" he chuckled. Then I'd wake up. I never learned where I was or who lab coat guy was.

The trucker made surprisingly good time to Knoxville. We were there before daylight, and luckily, the blizzard had passed. It was still snowing lightly, and there were several inches on the ground, but we were no longer in whiteout conditions. As the trucker began unloading boxes from the semi trailer, we waited silently until the perfect moment to sneak out. It was easier getting out of the trailer than it had been to get in, because Noah's leg was functioning now. He said it was sore and he limped on it a bit, but he was able to walk without assistance. It was good to see him back on his feet, and I figured after another square of ambrosia and a little more rest, he be a hundred percent again.

"What now?" Noah asked when we got out of sight from the trucker and the music shop where he was making his delivery.

"We find another ride," I said.

"Another truck?"

"Shh," Lily hushed us. "Listen."

I listened, though I wasn't sure what I was listening for. All I heard was a faint echo of a train whistle. A train. "Sounds like a potential ride to me," I said.

"Exactly," Lily nodded. "Let's get hiking."

We began walking through the dark streets on the outskirts of Knoxville toward the sound of train whistles. The whistles sounded like they were a few miles away, and there were several—a nearly constant echo. The sounds must've been coming from a train yard, which would be good for us—more options.

As we walked and Noah limped along, I had this paranoia settle over me. I had the weird feeling that I was being watched. Over the years, I'd learned to take that particular instinct very seriously; it was hardly ever wrong. I glanced around, but it was still dark outside. The sun wouldn't be up for another hour or so. I couldn't see much, just what the few streetlights illuminated, and I didn't see anything suspicious.

Lily noticed my new alertness. "Look up," she said to me.

I did, and I saw the faint outline of a very large bird. It was circling us as we walked. "The vulture?" I asked.

She nodded. "Agrius. He followed us."

"Will he attack us?" Noah asked, looking up at the vulture.

"Doubtful," Lily answered. "He's waiting for something else to attack us, then he'll take advantage of an easy meal. Vultures aren't predators; they're scavengers."

"Well, he's making me uncomfortable," I said. "Can't you shoot him down?"

She shook her head. "He's out of range or I would, because his circling is a little disconcerting."

The sun was coming up when we made it to the train yard. We walked among the many trains and rail lines, looking for a ride west.

"Which train?" Noah asked, and as soon as he did, I saw it: Sun West Line.

I pointed to the cargo train. "That one."

"Excellent choice," a man's voice said, and I turned to see a familiar face. It was Lexie's dad, Apollo.

We bowed our heads to the sun god.

"Hey there, Lily," he winked at the Hunter. "What are you doing running around with a couple of boys? Does Artemis know?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to rescue your daughter, and of course, Artemis knows. Who do you think sent me to recruit Lexie?"

"Sis sent her best, huh? Well, good for her," he said then turned to me. "Hey, kid, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone."

I followed Apollo across the rail yard away from Noah and Lily. I didn't know what he needed to discuss privately. I was a little nervous, to say the least.

When we were well away from Noah and Lily, the god stopped and turned to me. "I'm counting on you to get her back in one piece," he said. The look in his eyes told me he was referring to Lexie. "I made a promise to her mother that I'd always look out for her, so I'm here to help you."

"The truck and the train," I guessed.

He nodded. "You've looked out for my daughter a lot, and you're doing it again now. Seems I can trust you to do right by her."

"She's my friend. I'll always look out for her."

"Until she joins the Hunt, that is."

"Ugh, why does everyone want her to join the Hunt?" I grumbled.

He laughed. "I take it you don't?"

"No, I don't," I said. "I'm probably being selfish, but I don't want to lose my friend."

"Eh," he shrugged. "I guess I'm being selfish by wanting her to join. It's a daddy thing. I want the best for her, and an eternal life…that's good stuff. And besides, if she's a Hunter, I won't have to worry about blasting horny teenage boys that come knocking on the door."

I swallowed. I do believe that last comment was directed at me.

"Shouldn't joining the Hunt be her decision to make?" I asked the god. "It's kinda life-altering."

"Oh, it's her decision. I can't force her to join, I just agreed with her mother that she should."

I was done talking about this. It was only making me angry, and I most definitely didn't need to be blowing up on Apollo, because he might return the favor, literally. "So, will the train take us to New Orleans?" I asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head. "Not quite, but it'll get you close, and it'll get you there fast. Once you get to the river, find the Egyptian. Tell him I sent you. He owes me a favor."

The train whistle blew, and I glanced over at Noah and Lily who were waving at me to hurry up. When I turned back to Apollo to ask who the Egyptian was, the sun god was gone.

I ran back over to Noah and Lily, and we climbed aboard an empty boxcar that's door was opened just enough for us to get in. We'd barely made it aboard when the train began to move. We settled in a corner of the boxcar as it began steaming west.

"What did Apollo say?" Noah asked me.

"He said the train wouldn't take us all the way to New Orleans, but it would get us close," I answered.

"Is that all he said?"

"Pretty much. Oh, he did mention that we'd need to find the Egyptian when we reached the river. Whatever that means," I added.

"The Egyptian?" Lily asked.

"That's what the man said."

It was quiet between us for a moment as we mulled over who the Egyptian might be, then Noah turned to the Hunter. "So, you know Apollo, huh?"

She succeeded in nodding and rolling her eyes at the same time. "Unfortunately," she grumbled. "Occupational hazard. He drops in to see Artemis every once in a while."

"I take it you don't like him much?"

She shrugged. "He's a jerk who thinks he's hot shit."

Apollo and I weren't strangers. Our paths had crossed a few times. I'd seen him in jerk-mode before, but more often I'd seen him as a cocky but nice guy and a decent dad to Lexie.

"I think he's an all right god," I said. "I mean, he has been helping us to rescue Lexie after all."

"Give him a gold star."

I could see that Lily didn't want to talk about Apollo so I changed the subject. "Noah, how's the leg?"

He rubbed his shin. "It's sore. Really sore."

Lily dug through her pack and retrieved another square of ambrosia. She broke it half. "Eat half now and the other half later," she told him.

"I talked to Morgan, you know," I said to Noah.

He bit his lip. "CJ, I…"

"No more secrets," I said. "I almost lost you, bro. That can't happen again."

He wouldn't look at me, but he nodded, "No more secrets."

I pulled my phone from my pocket and powered it on. Now that I had Morgan on the brain, I remembered she said she call me if she had any more visions. I had a single text message, and it was from Morgan. It read: _Eat some Memphis barbeque for me_.

I laughed.

"What's so funny?" Lily asked.

"It's been staring me in the face this whole time: the river, the pyramid, the Egyptian. We're headed to Memphis."

Noah rubbed his injured leg again. "Memphis, huh?"

"That's what Morgan said." I showed Noah the text.

He sighed. "I haven't been to Memphis in a long time."

"You've been there before?" Lily asked him.

He nodded. "I lived there for a while with my mom."

I didn't know that. I knew he and his mom lived on the run from his father, Prometheus, and they'd traveled all over the country, but he never mentioned any of the places they'd lived before he eventually came to camp when he was nine.

"Memphis was actually good for us. We lived there for three years before things got sketchy and we had to take-off. It was a pretty rough city; crime was really bad, but we never had a problem with monsters like we did in other cities. There was something about the place…I don't really know, but even Prometheus kept his distance. I've always wondered if my mom went back there."

Noah had been contemplating looking for his mom since the summer. He didn't know if she was dead or alive, and he was afraid of what he might find if he went looking for her. He had hope that she was still alive, that Prometheus never found her, but he knew if he searched and couldn't find her, he'd lose what little hope he had.

But what if she was alive and went back to Memphis? Noah had a chance to get his mom back. We couldn't pass that up. "We'll look into it when we get there, Noah. We'll look for your mom."

"I don't know, CJ," he said. "We don't really have time for that. We've got to get to New Orleans."

He was hesitant. I understood why. He didn't want to get his hopes up that his mom might be in Memphis then be disappointed if we didn't find her.

"It's up to you, Noah, but we'll have a little time to check the phone book and make some calls, because I fully intend to eat some Memphis barbeque."

"Rendezvous," he said. "Rendezvous downtown has the best ribs on the planet."

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the roof of the boxcar we were riding in. We all instinctively rose to our feet.

"What was that noise?" I asked as I looked up at the ceiling of the railcar.

Three sharp talons penetrated the steel roof and opened up large gashes. Then there was an ear-splitting screech, and the talons began cutting through the metal again.

"Is that the vulture?" Noah asked. "I thought it wouldn't attack."

"Yeah, well, I guess it got tired of waiting for something else to kill us," Lily said.

A chunk of the steel roof peeled away and the most hideous red, wrinkly, beady-eyed bird head I'd ever seen peeked into the boxcar and screeched. And the smell…oh, my gods, the smell of the bird's breath made me want to retch. It was the most incredibly foul stench that I'd ever had in my nose—like road kill that had cooked in hundred-degree heat. I thought sea serpent guts smelled bad, but this was a million times worse.

Lily was trying to aim her bow, but she turned and heaved instead. She puked her guts up, which started a chain reaction. Noah started puking, and yes, I threw up, too. I didn't puke very often—usually only after I'd breathed underwater. I didn't get sick, because the curse of Achilles protected me from viruses and such, but smells did get to me sometimes.

"Gods, somebody kill that disgusting thing!" I shouted then heaved again.

Noah fumbled for his katana, but was wobbly on his sore leg and fell to the floor. I was able to dig my pen from my pocket and transform it into my sword just as the vulture was able to get one of its huge claws through the opening it had made in the ceiling. It swiped at Lily who didn't see it coming, because she was still doubled-over with nausea. I slashed at the claw just before it hit her, and I was able to take off two talons. The bird screeched again, and its claw retreated out of the hole in the ceiling.

"Lily!" I yelled. She was gripping the wall to steady herself and didn't respond. "Lieutenant!" I shouted at her, and she slowly turned to me. "Shoot the bird!"

She tried to draw her bowstring back, but her hands were so shaky and she was so weak from vomiting so much that I knew she'd never hit the target. Noah was still unsteady on his injured leg, so he wouldn't be much help, either. I had to take care of this monster myself.

"Get in the corner!" I ordered. "Away from the hole in the roof!"

They did as I said, and I went to the boxcar's door. I slid it open wide enough to fit my body through. I looked down and holy crap. The ground was zipping by at incredible speed. We must've been moving a few hundred miles an hour. I took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the outside of the door. I shimmied along the outside of the boxcar making my way over to a ladder that led up to the roof where I could hear the vulture still screeching and ripping and tearing steel.

The rungs of the ladder were slick with ice, and I nearly fell twice before I made it to the roof. The bird had ripped a hole in the roof that was almost big enough for it to fit through.

"Hey!" I yelled to get the bird's attention. It worked. The vulture looked up from its destruction and trained its beady eyes on me. _Gulp_.

The bird was huge; it looked smaller in flight. Its greasy black feathers bristled and its wings spread. It had a ten-foot wingspan. The bird thrust its head toward me and screeched. A wave of hot bird breath hit me in the face. I had to work really hard to suppress the urge to throw up or just throw myself off the train. The smell was that bad.

Then it occurred to me: I didn't necessarily need to breathe; the curse of Achilles prevented me from dying of asphyxiation. I held my breath, which helped me get past the road kill breath. Now I just had to kill the damn thing.

The vulture hopped over the hole it had made in the roof and began closing in on me. I took a few steps back, until I was near the edge of the boxcar. The roof was as slick as the ladder, so I had to be really careful not to slip and fall off the train.

The bird lunged with its beak, and I took a hard swipe with my sword. I took off the tip of the bird's beak, and it staggered backwards. While it was disoriented, I went after it, slashing my sword at its wings and bony legs. It flapped its wings in defense of my attack and one of its claws came up and kicked me in the head, knocking me on my ass.

I went sliding across the roof of the boxcar and nearly fell off. My foot caught the top rung of the ladder I climbed up, leaving me dangling upside down over the side.

The vulture was on me before I could orient myself. It screeched and came down at me with its busted beak. I hit my bracelet just in time. It transformed into my shield, which blocked the hit that was aimed right at my Achilles spot. I slammed my shield against the bird's ugly head, and it pitched over the side of the railcar. It took flight just before hitting the ground, and swung around, perching near the hole it had torn into the roof. I was able to right myself and climb back on top of the boxcar before the vulture came at me again.

The bird took a step toward me then screeched and flailed when it was standing over the hole in the roof. I could see arrows zipping up through the hole and piercing the bird's body. Lily was firing on it. This was my chance to take the vulture out while it was distracted.

I took off running toward the vulture and used a skill I didn't learn at camp. I was a baseball player—a pretty good one—and I'd stolen more than a few bases. Just before I got to the bird, I fell to my hip in a baseball slide. I had my sword gripped tightly with both hands, and when I slid between the vulture's legs, I slashed up at it, ripping the bird open. The vulture burst into ashes as my slide took me through the hole in the roof, and I crash-landed on the floor inside the boxcar.

Noah and Lily were staring at me as I got to my feet and dusted myself off. "Well," I said. "That was gross."

Noah looked up at the roof. "Did you get it?"

I nodded. "Yep, it's dust."

Lily was still staring at me. "What?" I asked her.

"I…I shot you," she said.

She did? "You did?"

"It was an accident. I was firing at the vulture, and you suddenly appeared in my line of fire. One of my arrows hit your leg."

I looked down and sure enough there was a rip in my jeans at my right knee. I shrugged. "It's a good thing my knee isn't my Achilles spot."

"Don't worry about it, Lily," Noah said then whacked my shoulder with his katana. "I smack him around all the time. It doesn't hurt him, and it's actually kinda fun."

She walked up to me and slapped me across the face as hard a she could. I nearly fell from the force of the hit. "It is fun," she smiled. "Good job, hero."


	7. Chapter 7

7. A Different Pantheon

Our train stopped in a Memphis rail yard just before noon.

"Where to now?" Lily asked Noah.

He looked around to get his bearings then said, "We're across town from where we need to be." He pointed to his left. "The river is that way."

"How far?" I asked.

"Not too far. Once we get to Riverside, we can hop on the trolley. It'll take us downtown."

We started walking. Noah led the way, and he didn't even limp on his leg. I guess that last square of ambrosia did the trick. As we walked, I felt a bit uneasy. It wasn't like the feeling I had when the vulture was following us. I felt like I was walking through Brownsville or East New York—the most dangerous neighborhoods in my city for violent crime. Not that I ever wandered over to that part of New York, but if I had, I'm sure it would be something like this part of Memphis.

People loitered around the abandoned buildings we passed, not shy about showing us the guns stuffed in their waistbands. Graffiti covered every structure, the homeless gathered around fires built in metal trashcans, and there was a constant echo of police sirens in the distance. We were not safe here. Our celestial bronze weapons would be useless if we were attacked by one of the mortal criminals or gang-bangers that were eyeing us as we walked past.

Two men began following us at a distance, and we quickened our pace. We didn't take off running, because we were afraid they might start shooting. I wondered if these guys planned to rob us.

"Yo, kids!" one of the men shouted. I turned to see that the men had gained on us and were now only a few yards behind us. "Hows 'bout you hand over them backpacks?" He had his hand on the pistol stuffed in the front of his jeans, which I thought was a pretty stupid place to keep a gun. What if it went off accidentally? Yikes.

My fingers twitched, wanting to go for my pen, but it would've been pointless. My sword would just pass through them like they weren't even there.

"You fellas need to move along," Lily said to them, making a shooing motion with her hand. What the hell was she trying to pull? Some sorta Jedi mind-trick.

"That ain't gonna happen, darlin'," the other man said. I guess it wasn't a mind-trick.

Just then I heard a vicious growl off to our left, and out of a dark alleyway stepped an enormous white timber wolf with her teeth barred and her fur bristled. It was Echo.

"Maybe you should reconsider," Lily said to the men who were slowly backing away with terrified looks on their faces.

The wolf let out a short low-pitched warning bark and snapped at the two men, and without hesitation, they turned tail and ran way.

Lily nodded to her wolf in appreciation. Echo shook to flatten her bristled fur then fell in to heel beside her master.

"Has Echo been following us this whole time?" I asked Lily when we resumed walking.

"Yes."

"How do you communicate with her?" I asked. I was curious about how information traveled between the two.

"We have a bond, a link of the minds created by Lady Artemis. It's kinda like telepathy, I guess. All Hunters have the link with the pack. Our wolves are vital to the Hunt. Their senses are keen. They can hunt at night, they can hunt by sight and smell, and they can hear our prey or a predator that is miles away. We're an unbeatable combination."

I nodded. "Man's best friend since the ice age."

"Woman's," she corrected me.

"That's neat that you can talk to them," Noah said. "Can you communicate with all animals?"

She shook her head. "No, just the wolves in Artemis's pack. And our hunting falcons, though, to a lesser degree."

No one else bothered us now that Echo was walking with us, and we reached the trolley rail after about an hour of walking. The wolf took off when we climbed aboard the trolley and rode it toward the downtown area. This was a much nicer part of the city—clean and bustling. We got off at the Union Avenue stop and walked east. Noah led us down Second Street, and I could smell the barbeque before I even saw the restaurant. We walked down a street between a parking garage and a Holiday Inn. An enormous domed arena towered a few blocks to the right, and I could see a baseball stadium straight ahead. I had an urge to go to the stadium and check out the facility. I bet it was awesome.

"Mom took me to a few Redbirds games when we lived here," Noah said, pointing at the stadium when he noticed me staring at it.

"We should catch a Mets game or two this spring," I said to him.

"Mets?" Lily asked with disgust.

"Yes, Mets," I said. "They're a Major League Baseball team."

"I know that. But they suck."

I was hurt that she'd say such a thing, but I was more impressed that she knew they sucked. "You follow baseball?" I asked her.

"Not for a while now, but Daddy and I used to watch the Astros religiously," she said, which brought her up a notch on the maybe-she's-not-so-bad scale. "What about you, Noah?" she asked. "Who's your team?"

"The Cardinals," he said. "You know, a team that actually wins games."

"Oh, shut-up," Lily and I said at the same time.

Noah laughed at us. "Hey, I can't help it if you two follow crappy teams. Ah, here we are," he said, stopping in front of a wide staircase that led to a basement restaurant. The sign out front read: _Rendezvous_.

The smell was intoxicating and my stomach grumbled. It had been hours since our nauseating encounter with the vulture. My stomach had fully recovered by now, and I was starving.

We were seated at a table near the back, and a black man in a white apron came over to take our orders. "Good day to ya, kids. I'm Darren, and I'll be takin' care of ya. What can I getcha to drink?"

"Sweet tea," Lily said to him, and she instantly went up a few more notches on the not-so-bad scale. I'd been introduced to sweet tea in Georgia a few years ago and fell in love with the southern staple. Noah and I both ordered sweet tea as well.

When the waiter came back with our drinks, Noah placed our order. "A cheese and sausage plate to start, two racks of ribs, and…" Noah turned to Lily. "Half-rack?" he asked her.

"Full-rack," she said. "I'm from Texas. I could eat you boys under the table."

"Atta girl," the waiter smiled and winked at Lily. "So I gotcha down for a cheese and sausage appetizer and three racks of ribs. It'll be out shortly."

As I guzzled my amazing sweet tea, I looked around the restaurant. It was an old and rustic place. Signage and autographed photos adorned the wooden walls, and the aroma of beer and smoked barbeque filled the air. A sign over by the kitchen caught my eye. It read: _Serving up Greek_ _ribs and hospitality since 1948_.

Darren returned with our appetizer, and we dug in. Cheese, smoked sausage, and dill pickles dusted with a dry barbeque seasoning—it was delicious. We were wiping our hands and faces when a different man served us our ribs. He was a middle-aged white guy with thinning salt and pepper hair, and he wasn't wearing an apron like the rest of the wait staff; he was dressed business-casual. He sat down at the empty seat at our table.

"I'm John," he introduced himself. "Great-grandson of Dionysus and Demeter. And I own this establishment."

I blinked. This guy was a legacy.

"So, what are a couple of campers and a Hunter of Artemis doin' here in Memphis?" he asked.

"How did you know who we are?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, I can see through the Mist." He pointed at Noah's sheathed katana. "I can see that sword. And I can see the blessing of Artemis on the young lady's skin."

Lily offered John her hand. "Lieutenant Lily Valdez."

He shook her tiny hand. "Nice to meet you, lieutenant."

Noah and I introduced ourselves and shook the man's hand.

"So, what brings you three here?" he asked. "A quest?"

I nodded. "A friend—a daughter of Apollo—has been kidnapped. We're on our way to New Orleans to rescue her."

"Is there anyway I can help?" he asked. "I don't come across folks from the godly side of the family tree very often. I'd like to help if I can."

"Actually," I said. "Maybe you can help. Apollo arranged the ride here to Memphis, and he said when we got here, we'd need to find the Egyptian. Do you have any idea who he might be talking about?"

John leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Eat," he said to us. "I have a story to tell you."

We began eating our huge platters of ribs, baked-beans, and coleslaw while he talked. "Memphis, like a few other cities, is unique. We don't have a population of Greek monsters, the Greek gods don't come around much, and for a Greek or Roman demigod or legacy, Memphis is a pretty safe place to settle down and raise a family. That's what my dad did. As an empowered legacy, he had the same struggles y'all do, that is, until he came to Memphis. He was able to live a normal life here. He even used his talents to make this restaurant a success. He was never attacked by monsters or harassed by gods."

Noah interrupted the story. "I lived here with my mom when I was younger, and it was safe for us, too. I never knew why."

"Memphis is influenced by a different pantheon, that's why. This is an Egyptian city, occupied by an Egyptian god. Gods and monsters from other pantheons—Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, and so on—usually stay away. Memphis isn't their turf."

A rib fell out of Noah's mouth. "So you're saying this Egyptian we need to find is an Egyptian _god_?"

"And not just any Egyptian god," John said. "It's Thoth."

"Uh, he's a pretty important guy?" Noah asked.

"God of wisdom, writing, science, and magic," I listed. "Yeah, he an important guy."

John looked at me. "You don't seem too surprised by all this."

I shrugged. "I'm from Manhattan. I've heard rumors and seen strange things over in Brooklyn. I think it's an Egyptian influenced borough."

"Could be," he said. "So you say Apollo wanted you to find Thoth? Any idea why?"

"He said the Egyptian owed him a favor. I'm hoping he can get us some quick transportation to New Orleans. Do you know where we can find him?"

John smiled. "Now where in Memphis might you find an Egyptian god?"

"The Pyramid," Noah said.

"Exactly. It's about ten blocks north of here at the edge of the river. You can't miss it," John said then stood up from the table. "I wish you heroes luck on your quest. The food's on the house, and if you need anything else, just let me know."

"Do you have a Memphis area phonebook?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. "I'll have Darren bring it out to you."

Noah stopped eating, which was weird, because the guy ate like a horse. He only ate about half his ribs. I think he might've been anxious.

Darren brought us the phonebook and refilled our tea glasses. I handed the book to Noah, and he stared at it while he cleaned his barbeque-covered hands with one of those wet-wipe things. Lily wasn't paying any attention; she was still inhaling her ribs, and I wondered where the heck she put it all. She was tiny.

"I know it's a long-shot, Noah, but you should try," I said about looking for his mom.

He hesitated, but opened the phonebook and thumbed through it for a few minutes. He sighed. "She's not listed."

"Check where she used to work," Lily suggested. "If she did come back, she might've gotten her old job back."

"Yeah, okay," Noah nodded. He browsed the yellow pages until he found the number for the drycleaner she used to work at. "Here it is. CJ, will you call? Ask for Renee Hawkins."

I pulled out my cell phone and made the call. The manager recognized the name, but said Renee hadn't worked there since she quit nearly ten years ago. Damn.

"Sorry, Noah," I sighed. Now I felt like crap for even suggesting he look for his mom. Disappointment was written all over his face.

He shrugged. "Like you said, it was a long-shot anyway."

We finished eating, and I wondered if we should save the rib bones for Echo. Iolaus loved to munch on rib bones. "Should we get Echo a doggie bag?" I asked Lily.

She laughed. "Echo's a wolf, not a house dog. She hunts for her food. As a matter of fact, she took down a deer at a nearby wildlife refuge while we were eating. She's as full as we are."

"How do you know she took down a deer?" I asked.

"She asked if she should save me some. I told her I already ate."

"You eat deer?" Noah asked her.

She nodded.

"Venison is actually pretty good, Noah. You should try it sometime," I said.

"Uh, I think I'll pass."

Lily left a tip on the table for Darren, and we walked out of the basement restaurant. It was snowing again. Lily zipped up her parka and covered her head with the fur-lined hood. Noah pulled a toboggan from his pack to cover his head. I was content to let the snow collect in my mop of black hair, but I pulled my sweatshirt hood up anyway.

We took the sidewalk north along Riverside Drive and arrived at the Pyramid in less than twenty minutes. It really was an incredible structure. It was over thirty stories tall—taller than the Statue of Liberty. Its sleek stainless steel-paneled exterior reflected the grayish-blue sky making the Pyramid look like it was made of glass or ice.

Noah and Lily split up to check the perimeter, and I walked over to the chain link fence on the west side of the Pyramid to look out at the Mighty Mississippi. The river was huge and swift and very muddy. Brown, the river was brown. I only _thought_ the Hudson looked disgusting. The Mississippi River swirled and churned and was powerful enough to disappear enormous drifting trees and logs under its surface. It was intimidating to look upon.

"It's not the Nile, but it's pretty darn close," a man's voice said. I recognized the voice. I looked to my left and there he was—the mad scientist from my dream. "You Greeks are always in a pickle, aren't you?" he chuckled.

"Thoth?" I guessed.

"Whoa, good guess," he smiled. "You must be Chase Jackson, cursed grandson of Poseidon and Athena."

I was surprised he knew who I was. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged. "Apollo told me. He let me know you and your companions were coming. He said his daughter was in danger and you were going to save her."

I nodded. "That's the plan. She's being held hostage in New Orleans by a group of clear-sighted mortals who call themselves—"

"The Rebellion," he finished for me. "I've heard of them."

"Then you know they're dangerous. They're killers, and they'll kill Lexie if we don't get there in time."

I must've sounded really desperate, because his eyebrows shot up. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Uh, no," I stammered. "She's just a friend."

He gave me a sly smile. "Whatever you say, kid."

"So, uh, Thoth," I began then pointed at the gleaming Pyramid. "This is your…palace?"

"More like man-cave, but palace works too. Though, it may not be for much longer."

"Why not?" I asked.

"The city of Memphis wants to convert it into a Bass Pro Shop." He shook his head and huffed, "Can you believe that? I've been stalling the acquisition with grievances and mounds of paperwork for years, but I can't hold them off forever."

"What's a Bass Pro Shop?"

He blinked. "Seriously? It's a sporting goods store."

"Oh."

"Well, never mind about that," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "What can I do for you, Chase Jackson?"

"Apollo said to find you. Can you help us get to New Orleans?" I asked the god as Noah and Lily came running up.

"CJ, are you alright?" Noah asked as he looked Thoth up and down.

"Fine," I reassured him. "Noah, Lily, this is the Egyptian. This is Thoth."

Lily eyed the god. "You're white," she observed his pasty skin. She seemed surprised.

The god shrugged and came back with, "You're not."

Then the Spanish started. The two of them went back and forth in the language that I didn't understand. I knew a little Ancient Greek and Latin, but not Spanish.

Noah turned to me and whispered, "Do you know what they're saying?"

"Nope."

Lily finished her rant in Spanish then stormed away. It must not have been a pleasant conversation.

"I like that chica," Thoth said about Lily. "A little firecracker."

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"A friendly discussion about family heritage," he said.

"It didn't sound friendly," Noah said.

The god shrugged. "Eh, is a discussion with a Hunter of Artemis ever truly friendly?"

"Touché."

I was ready to get back on track. "So," I said. "About this favor you owe Apollo…"

"Ah, yes," Thoth said. "He gave me guitar lessons a while back. He's an excellent musician, and we had so much fun. He'd always bring a couple of hot girls and a case of ale and…yeah, you don't need to hear this story. Anyway, I still owe him for his time. He's calling in his favor for this. That daughter of his must really be something special."

"She is," I said.

"I can get you a fast ride to New Orleans. Super-fast, in fact, but I need you to do something for me in return," he said and pulled a scroll from his lab coat pocket. "When you get back to New York, take this to Brooklyn House and give it to Khufu."

"Uh, what is Brooklyn House and who is Khufu?" I asked. "You don't mean the pharaoh Khufu, do you?"

"No, not the pharaoh. When you get to the borough, look really hard at the eastern skyline. I mean, really concentrate and you'll see the house."

"That's it?"

He nodded. "That's it. I just need you to make the delivery for me. Can you do it?"

I took the scroll. "I can do it," I assured him.

"Good," he smiled, clapping his hands together. "Now let's see about getting you guys that ride."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: The first book in this series, **_**H&L 1: The Prodigal Son**_**, has been nominated for a Phoenix Award in the Best Original Character category. Votes are appreciated. And to my reviewers, thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. It makes me smile to see reviews, and it makes all the hard work worth it.**

**-dmac**

8. Sink or Swim

With a wave of his hand, Thoth opened a locked gate in the chain link fence that stood between the Pyramid and the Mississippi River then led us down to the shore where a boat was tied to a small weathered dock.

The boat wasn't much. It was about twenty-five feet long and eight feet wide and was constructed of woven plant fibers. It didn't look at all stable or waterproof, but I knew it was. I recognized the construction as a typical reed fishing vessel used on waterways in and around the Mediterranean.

In the center of the vessel was a cabin that looked more like a hut and was made from the same material as the rest of the boat. Two burning torches were perched on the bow of the vessel, which was a fire hazard if I'd ever seen one.

The boat had no motor or electrical components. It had a tiller at the stern for steering, but no sail or paddles. I had no idea how the boat was propelled. Maybe it just rode the river's current.

At the stern sat a monkey. I shit you not, it was a real life baboon…and it was apparently the driver of the boat.

"This is Pepi," Thoth said, pointing at the baboon. "And he'll be your guide through the Duat."

"The du-what?" Noah asked.

"The Duat," the god repeated. "It's an Egyptian spiritual realm that sits just beneath the mortal realm. It has many layers, and it would take ages for me to explain the complexities of the Duat. All you need to know is that it allows those who travel through it to make their destination in minutes instead of hours or days."

Lily pointed at the vessel. "And that cardboard boat is what we have to ride through this spiritual realm?" she asked Thoth.

"It's not cardboard; it's reed," he clarified. "And yes, this is your ride to New Orleans."

She shook her head. "You're loco if you think I'm getting on that rickety old boat in the Mississippi River. It'll sink in a minute."

I hopped on the boat without hesitation. It wobbled a bit, but it was far from capsizing. "It's not going to sink, Lily," I said.

"Are you sure?" Noah asked skeptically.

I stepped a few paces to confirm the deck was solid. "Pretty sure," I nodded. "Besides, what choice do we have? We've gotta get to New Orleans to save Lexie. This is the quickest way."

Noah carefully stepped aboard, but Lily stayed standing on the dock with her hands on her hips. "Are you coming?" I asked her.

She bit her bottom lip. She took a step toward the boat then stopped.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked her.

"I don't like boats," she said.

"Uh, you can swim, right?" I asked her.

"Of course, I can swim. Maybe not terribly well in this river, but yes, I can swim."

"Then what's the problem? Why don't you like boats?"

She shook her head. "Never mind," she muttered as she hesitantly came aboard the vessel.

"Hold on tight," Thoth said as he shoved us off. "It's a bumpy ride through the Duat."

"Thanks, Thoth," I said, waving goodbye to the god.

"You're welcome, kid. And good luck."

The strong swirling current of the Mississippi River swept the boat away from the shore, and the next thing I knew, I felt like I was falling off a cliff. It was that sensation you get in an elevator when your stomach tries to climb up into your throat.

We weren't falling, though. We were flying like there was a rocket strapped to the boat. The speed was incredible—faster than Apollo's train, faster than bending distance. The only thing I could compare traveling through the Duat to was shadow travel—which I'd only ever done once, and it was by complete accident.

There was blackness and strange noises, whispers and screams (Lily's screams, I'm pretty sure), and the motion of the boat was like being on a roller coaster. And no sooner than it started, it was over. The boat slowed, the darkness turned to light, and I looked out to see the enormous Lake Pontchartrain to the left and the city of New Orleans straight ahead.

"What a ride!" I exclaimed.

"That was awesome," Noah agreed.

Pepi the baboon steered the boat as the current took us downriver toward the city. The small vessel rocked and swayed in the churning muddy water. Lily was sitting inside the hut, a white-knuckle grip on her seat and her complexion turning a little green.

Noah and I were standing near the prow of the boat, and Noah pulled his jacket closer against him. "Do you feel that?" he asked me.

"Feel what?" I asked. "The chill?"

"No, it's something else. Like…I don't know…pressure or a hum in the air. A bad vibe."

It did feel like the air was denser and maybe a little charged. It was an eerie feeling, like something dark and festering was lingering in the air. "Yeah, I feel it, too," I said.

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

"It's dark magic," Lily said, stepping out of the hut and onto the deck. "The city reeks of it."

"Not surprising really," I said. "There are a lot of practitioners down here."

Lily took a step toward the bow then stepped back to lean against the hut. She was pale and looked like she might pass out.

"You okay?" I asked, walking over to lean beside her.

She was taking slow deep breaths. She looked up at me and shook her head. "I hate boats."

"You get seasick," I guessed.

She nodded. "When I was a little girl, my dad told me stories about his ship, the Argo II. I had nightmares about that ship for years—sometimes still do. Ever since then, I've despised boats, and I always get sick when I'm on one."

"Have you ever seen the Argo II?" I asked her.

"Only pictures."

"It's stored in a hangar at Camp Half-Blood. Your dad built an incredible ship. You should come check it out sometime. Maybe if you face your fear, it won't haunt you anymore."

"Do you honestly think that'll work?" she asked.

I thought about my encounters with Morgan's giant python, the sea serpent, and the Drakon. I'd faced those slithering creatures and still hated snakes with a passion. "Uh, probably not."

There was a sudden jolting thud against the hull of the boat, and Lily grabbed my arm in a mild panic. "What was that?" she asked.

"We probably just bumped into a piece of debris floating in the river."

There was another thud against the hull, but this time it was louder and more violent. The boat pitched hard left, knocking Lily into me. I grabbed her to keep her from falling overboard. She had a death grip on my jacket. The boat snapped back level, and I heard the baboon bark a warning just before diving out of the vessel.

"The boat's on fire!" Noah shouted as he ran away from the bow where the torches had been knocked to the deck. The boat was going up in flames and going up fast.

Lily, Noah, and I backed away from the flames, and I began looking around the boat for a fire extinguisher or life vests or flotation devices of any kind. There were none. We were on a burning and sinking boat in the middle of the largest and most powerful river in the United States, and it was December. I was confident I could make it out of the river alive; the curse of Achilles would protect me from the freezing cold water and the possibility of drowning, but Noah's and Lily's chances were slim.

Noah was doing all he could to snuff out the flames with his fire-stealing power, but that power was geared more toward making fires bigger, not smaller. He was slowing the fire's progress across the deck, but he was unable to put it out. It was times like these when I wished I'd inherited some of that Poseidon power my dad had. A little power over water would've been helpful at the moment.

I went to the stern and grabbed the tiller to steer the vessel toward the riverbank. If I could get us close enough, we might be able to swim to shore.

The hut in the center of the boat was now burning, and we were taking on water; it was up to our ankles. The boat was going down, and we had maybe two minutes before it completely submerged.

Lily punched me in the shoulder. "You told me this thing wouldn't sink!" she barked.

"My mistake."

"CJ!" Noah yelled from his position a little further forward. "Get us closer to shore! I might be able to pull up a sandbar in shallower water."

"Got it!" I yelled back to Noah.

We were getting closer to the riverbank with every second, but the Mississippi is a wide river, and we still had a lot of open water between our sinking boat and the safety of land. When the fires began to sizzle and extinguish, I knew it was over. Water was overtaking the vessel. There was nothing more we could do.

"Abandon ship!" I shouted, then we all three dove into the Mighty Mississippi.

The water was like ice, and when it soaked through my clothes and hit my Achilles spot, it took my breath away. I gasped, which got me a lung full of muddy water, then the current caught me and pulled me under. I fought the swift and swirling current, swimming with all my strength.

When I broke the surface, I looked around for Noah and Lily. I didn't see them, but I could hear Lily crying for help. I swam toward the sound of her voice, and when I finally spotted her, the current pulled her under. I kept swimming in that direction, hoping I'd be close when she resurfaced, and I was. Her head came out of the brown water, and she was coughing viciously and desperately trying to tread water.

I hooked my arm around the tiny girl and began swimming toward the riverbank. I still had no idea where Noah was, so I began calling his name as I swam. There was no answer, and a cold chill washed over me as I thought about how I'd almost lost my best friend only yesterday, and now it was happening again.

We were getting closer to shore with every stroke, but we were also getting further and further downriver.

"CJ!" Lily screamed in my ear. "Behind us! A log as big as a car is coming up fast. It's going to pulverize us!"

Then suddenly everything stopped. The swirling water disappeared, the log that was bearing down on us was no longer moving, and Lily and I were lying on sand. I still had my arm wrapped around her, so I helped her sit up on the sandbar beneath us.

"What just happened?" Lily asked me, looking around at the newly formed peninsula in the river.

I smiled. "Noah just happened." And as I was saying that, Noah came strolling down the sandbar toward us. "Man, am I glad to see you," I said to him.

He offered Lily and me his hands and helped us to our feet. "It looked like you two could use some solid ground," he grinned.

Lily shook her head. "How did you…"

"It's one of my powers," Noah explained. "I can manipulate clay, sand, dirt, mud. I can bend it to my will, though this is the first time I've ever done it on this scale. I'm exhausted now."

"That's…impressive, Noah," she said. "You saved my life. Both of you did."

"Don't speak too soon," Noah said to her. "If we don't get someplace warm real quick, we could die of hypothermia."

He was right. We were all soaking wet and the air temperature was hovering just above freezing. I felt fine myself, other than being uncomfortable in my wet clothes, but I knew Noah and Lily were cold to the bone. And Lily had been in the water for two or three minutes. That's serious when the water's so cold. I wasn't sure if the Blessing of Artemis would protect Lily from succumbing to hypothermia like the curse of Achilles would for me, but I knew Noah was vulnerable. We had to get indoors.

We were hustling down the sandbar toward the riverbank when something caught my eye. It was my backpack. It had washed ashore on the sandbar. I thought I'd lost it when the boat sank. I grabbed it, and water streamed out of the bottom. Gods, I hoped Thoth's scroll was waterproof.

We came ashore in the St. Thomas District of New Orleans and went to the first motel we could find. It was a sleazy pay-by-the-hour place, but it would work. All we needed was a place to take a hot shower and change into some dry clothes. The sign at the desk read: CASH ONLY. I didn't have any cash, but Noah pulled a wad of soaked bills out of his jeans pocket.

"Where'd you get all that cash?" Lily asked him.

"Rachel gave it to me before I left the apartment. She said I might need it. She was right."

"Who is Rachel?"

"Rachel Dare. She and Nico di Angelo are my legal guardians."

Lily smiled. "My mom always spoke so fondly of them. They saved her life."

"They're good people," I said.

Noah got us three rooms and paid for two hours. That would give us time to clean up and rest.

As we were walking to our rooms, Noah turned to me. "CJ, do you have any dry clothes?"

I shook my head. "Sure don't."

"Me either."

"You guys should invest in waterproof packs," Lily said. Her pack was bone dry.

"I saw a consignment shop just down the street," I said to Noah. "I'll go buy us some fresh clothes."

He handed me a c-note. "Get me something warm."

"Okay."

I went to the second-hand store and bought Noah and myself jeans, sweatshirts, jackets, sneakers, socks, and boxers. When I returned to the motel, I gave Noah his new clothes then went to my room to shower off the river grime that covered my body.

My room was a rat hole—peeling wallpaper, a full ashtray on the table, stained linens on the bed, and a cockroach crawling around in the bathroom sink. I decided to touch only what I had to and stay far away from the skanky bed.

I emptied my backpack and pockets, laying everything out to dry, including Thoth's scroll, which was sopping wet. I unrolled it and placed it over a chair where it could dry out. The lettering on the scroll was hieroglyphs, and surprisingly the ink hadn't smeared. Unfortunately, my cell phone hadn't faired so well. It was fried. I made a mental note to invest in a waterproof phone case and backpack.

I took a hot shower, dressed, and walked outside to get some fresh air. It was late afternoon, and the sky was overcast.

"It'll be dark soon," said a voice to my right, and I turned to see Lily walking up to me. She looked…different. She wasn't dressed in the traditional Hunter garb anymore. She was wearing faded blue jeans tucked into brown cowboy boots and a red sweater under a brown thigh-length blazer. She wore a white scarf around her neck, her black hair was tied back in a braid, and she was wearing a little eye make-up. It all made her look older. Looking into her dark brown eyes, I could see the twenty year-old woman beneath the twelve year-old façade.

"Looks like you've recovered from your time in the drink," I said.

"A long hot shower warmed me right up," she smiled.

"Glad to hear it."

"I, uh…I wanted to thank you for saving my life today," she said, looking down at her boots. "The cold water had my muscles seized up. I would've drowned if you hadn't grabbed me. I owe you one."

I shrugged. "You would've done the same for me. You would have, wouldn't you?"

She gave me a playful shove and laughed. "Just because I'm a Hunter doesn't mean I'm heartless."

I tried to laugh with her, but I couldn't. All I'd been able to think about since the moment we arrived in New Orleans was the fact that Lexie was somewhere here in the city, being held hostage and possibly in serious danger. I was ready to get her back. I needed to know she was okay and get her someplace safe. And I'd have to trade myself for her to make that happen.

"Are you ready for this?" Lily asked like she was reading my mind, though my worry was probably written all over my face.

"I'm ready," I assured her.

She took a white handkerchief out of her blazer pocket and handed it to me. "Run this through your hair," she said.

That was an odd request. "Why?" I asked.

"To get your scent on it. I'll need Echo to track you once your in the custody of the Rebellion."

I ran the cloth through my hair like she said then gave it back to her. "I'll be on Bourbon Street watching you. I'll blend in with the crowd; you'll never see me," she said. "Noah will be watching from a distance. Don't look for us. We want the Rebellion to think you're alone."

"The Rebellion has spies everywhere. I'm sure they know I'm not alone."

"Maybe before the Duat, but I know the Rebellion doesn't have spies there. Your arrival tonight will surprise them. They won't be expecting you until tomorrow, so there's a possibility they'll think you made the trip alone," she explained. "Once you're on Bourbon Street, grab a bite to eat, check out the touristy stuff, and just act normal. Don't go looking for them. They'll find you. Once they have you, demand to see Lexie. They'll take you to her. Noah and I will use Echo to track you. Listen for her howl. That'll be the signal."

"Signal for what?" I asked.

"The signal that we're busting you and Lexie out."

"You know, you're pretty good at this strategy stuff," I said.

"Years of living in kill or be killed situations has left me with a few skills—strategic planning being one of them."

"Lily, if this plan goes sideways, promise me you'll get Lexie out. Leave me behind if you have to. If comes down to me or her, save her."

"Okay," she said without hesitation. She knew there were times when tough choices had to be made, and she wasn't afraid to make them. If I had to be sacrificed to save Lexie, she like me, was prepared to do it. Hell, she probably would've done it anyway.

"Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

Lexie's Tomb

I gave Noah my damp backpack then shook his hand. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, bro," he said. "And remember, I got your back out there."

I hailed a cab and told the driver to take me to Bourbon Street. Noah and Lily wouldn't be far behind. We didn't want to arrive together. We wanted the Rebellion to think I was on my own.

Once on Bourbon Street, I did as Lily had instructed and acted as normal as possible. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I grabbed a tall cup of hot chocolate and a granola bar at a coffee shop then made my way down the crowded street.

Bars, shops, and restaurants lined both sides of the street, and the atmosphere was one of a huge block party. People were laughing and smiling, music filled the air, and holiday spirit was in abundance. I wasn't in the party mood, but I put a fake smile on my face and tried to admire the legendary street.

I slowly made my way down Bourbon Street, checking out gift shops, sneaking a peek through the open door of a strip club, and getting a refill of hot chocolate. I'd walked about five blocks without seeing anything out of the ordinary; I never even saw Lily or Noah.

I finished my hot chocolate and was throwing the empty foam cup into a trashcan when someone grabbed my arm. "Don't try to run," he said.

I looked at the guy who had me by the arm. He was nothing special. He looked like a normal guy—a kid who could've been a student at my high school. He looked to be about my age, sixteen or seventeen. He was dressed in jeans, a black leather jacket, and a LSU ball cap.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Are you with the Rebellion?"

He nodded. "Someone wants to see you," he said. "Let's go."

I didn't struggle against the guy who had his hand clamped around my bicep. I had no reason to. This was the plan. I planned to be captured and traded for Lexie.

"Where are your friends?" he asked me as we walked.

"I'm here alone," I answered.

"Sure, you are," he grumbled.

I was escorted two blocks up Bourbon Street where we came to a stop across the street from a hotel. The Royal Sonesta Hotel was a beautiful structure in the heart of the French Quarter. It had a sort of timeless elegance and refinement about it. It had a distinctly European design with its traditional gabled windows, French doors and wrought-iron lace balconies, and it twinkled with Christmas lights. Mom would've loved it.

Limousines lined the street outside the hotel, and men and women dressed in formalwear were showing the doorman invitations then entering the hotel lobby. This must've been the place where the Christmas Ball Noah dreamed about was being hosted.

"Are we going to the ball?" I asked the guy on my arm. "And are you my date?"

"You wish," he mumbled.

I shrugged. "Eh, you're not really my type."

We stood on the sidewalk watching the partygoers enter the hotel for nearly half an hour before the guy holding me finally saw who he was looking for.

A tall young man with short brown hair and a five o'clock shadow stepped out of a white limousine. He was wearing a black tux, and he helped a gorgeous blond in a sexy red dress out of the limo. I didn't recognize the woman, but the man was Collin Barka.

I was escorted across the street where I came face to face with the leader of the Rebellion.

"I found him, sir," my date said to Barka.

"Chase Jackson," Barka blinked in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you so soon. Last I heard you were still in Tennessee. You made good time." Huh, Lily was right. They weren't expecting me tonight.

"I had incentive," I scowled.

He smiled. "I had a feeling she meant enough to you that you'd trade yourself for her."

"I want to see her," I demanded.

"Well, since your early arrival is really an inconvenience for me, I think I can arrange for you to spend some time with her." He turned to the guy who was still gripping my arm. "Take him to the girl. Lock him in there with her. I'll deal with them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, tomorrow," Barka said then turned to the blond on his arm and smiled. "We have a ball to attend tonight." He began to escort his date into the hotel then looked over his shoulder at me. "Enjoy your night with Alexandria," he said. "Because it's the last time you'll ever see her."

I was taken down a side street and thrown into the back of a van that was parked on the curb. My captor hopped in the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove away from the French Quarter.

It seemed like we'd been driving forever before the van finally came to a stop. The driver turned to me. "We're here."

"Where's here?" I asked.

"A city of the dead."

He opened the back door of the van and pulled me out. The street was dark, but whatever was on the other side of the stone wall that bordered the street was lit up by several lampposts. A streetlight lit up the gate we were walking toward. The cast-iron lettering in the archway over the gate read: LAFAYETTE CEMETERY NO. 1. My blood ran cold. Why were we going into a cemetery? Had they already killed Lexie?

I was on the edge of a panic attack as we entered the cemetery. I was so scared that I was being led to where they were keeping Lexie's dead body. Then I saw them—the tombs. Rows and rows of small mausoleums filled the cemetery, and I instantly knew they were keeping her in one of them. The stone room I saw in my dream was the inside of a mausoleum.

We zigzagged through the maze of tombs, vaults, and crypts. Some were beautiful marble structures, others were crumbling concrete. I remembered that New Orleans sits below sea level, so the dead are kept above ground, because the water table is so high. Coffins buried in the ground would float to the surface.

We made a left turn and walked toward a tomb where three people were loitering. As we got closer, I noticed they weren't loitering; they were guarding the door to the mausoleum. That must've been where they were keeping Lexie.

My captor whistled to announce our presence to the three guys watching the tomb. They waved to acknowledge us, and one of them started walking toward us. The guy who met us halfway down the row was wearing a black tux, and I immediately recognized him. It was Lexie's cousin, Jason Finn.

"Davis," Finn said to the guy gripping my arm. "You found Jackson, I see."

Davis nodded. "Barka told me to lock him in there with the girl for the night."

"He didn't want to miss the ball, huh?"

"I guess not. Can you really blame him, though? That date of his is smokin' hot."

Finn smiled. "Yes, she is."

"What about you, sir? I thought you and Mason were going to the ball, too."

Finn nodded. "We are. We're headed that way now. She's waiting in the car."

"Why are you here then?" Davis asked Finn.

"I, uh…I was just checking up on things. Go ahead and throw Jackson in there, then take the night off."

"Yes, sir."

"Good work, Davis."

Davis nodded to Finn. "Thank you."

Finn gave me a once over, but didn't say a word to me before turning and walking away from us.

Davis took me to the mausoleum where two guys with pistols in holsters on their hips were standing guard. He shoved me into the tomb and slammed the door shut. It was pretty dark inside the stone room. A little light seeped in through cracks in the stone ceiling, and my eyes were beginning to adjust when I heard a foot scuff on the stone floor. I turned toward the sound and was able to see an arm coming down at my throat. In the assailant's hand was a pointed object, and I instantly recognized it. I grabbed her wrist before she hit me.

"Lexie," I said. "Lexie, it's okay. It's me."

Her hairpin fell out of her hand. "CJ?" she whispered then caught a glimpse of my face in a dim patch of light. "CJ," she smiled, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

I held her close and tight. I didn't want to let her go. I was so relieved to see her alive. "I'm so glad you're okay," I breathed. "You are okay, right?"

She nodded into my shoulder, her voice muffled against my jacket, "Yeah, I'm okay." She looked up at me, and I could see she had a pretty nasty bruise below her right eye. She shrugged. "For the most part anyway. How'd you find me?"

"Barka told them to lock me in here with you until morning. I guess that's when he plans to make the trade."

"Trade? What trade? What are you talking about?"

"Me for you. That was the deal."

She still looked confused.

"You didn't know?" I asked.

"No, I had no idea. They haven't told me anything. I was wondering why they hadn't killed me already. But CJ, you can't trade yourself for me. You can't join them."

"I'm not going to. Noah and Lily are here in New Orleans. They're gonna get us out of here."

"Lily? You don't mean lieutenant Lily Valdez, do you?"

I nodded. "That's the one."

"She hasn't been harassing you too much, has she?" Lexie asked with a grin.

"Not too much. More like the other way around."

"You've been giving her a hard time?"

"A little. She punched me in the face only minutes after we first met. I felt I had the right to give her some grief."

Lexie laughed. "Why'd she hit you?"

"We were arguing about you."

She dipped her head. "Oh."

"She came to my house. She came to take you away, Lexie."

She scowled, "She shouldn't have. I told Artemis I needed time to think about it."

"And have you? Thought about it?"

She picked up her hairpin off the floor then took my hand and led me to a corner of the crypt that was lit by three long cracks in the ceiling. We sat down on the cold concrete floor, and she shivered. She was wearing jeans and a light denim jacket over a long-sleeve tee shirt. She must've been freezing. I took off my jacket and draped it over her lap.

"Thanks," she said, scooting right up against me so she could steal some of my body heat. "It's like a meat locker in here. I didn't think it got this cold in New Orleans."

"Normally it doesn't, but there's been a blizzard raging through the southern states over the last couple of days. I tried to drive through it, but I wrecked Mom's car."

"Again?"

I smiled and nudged her with my shoulder. "For the record, neither time was it my fault."

"Well, if you wrecked the car, then how'd you get here?"

"Your dad," I said. "He helped us get here."

She smiled and closed her eyes. I'm sure she was sending her father a silent thank you prayer.

I let her have a moment then said, "You never did answer my question. Have you thought about the Hunt?"

She sighed. "Some. All I've done since I've been locked in here is think. About how to escape, the Rebellion, the Hunt, missing Christmas with you."

"You come up with anything?"

"Well, I've decided the Rebellion has to be taken out and soon. These people are psycho and a serious pain in my ass," she grumbled.

"Seconded."

"I've also been trying to find a way to escape. There isn't one. My powers are inhibited, too. Even my hairpin won't transform into my bow. I think there's some sorta spell over this tomb."

I pulled my pen from my jeans pocket and hit the button. Nothing.

"See," she said. "And as far a the Hunt goes, I still haven't made up my mind."

"Your dad told me he wants you to join."

She nodded. "Mom thinks I should, too. It was her idea."

"But your mom left the Hunt."

"Yeah, but not by choice. Most people think she left for my dad and Artemis let her because he's her twin, but that's as far from the truth as you can get. Not many people know the real story. Mom left the Hunt for a man, but it wasn't my dad."

"Who was it?"

"It's a long story."

I shrugged. "We've got time. Tell me."

"It was Uncle Jason. He's the reason Mom left the Hunt. The story actually begins during the Giant War. Have you heard the stories about a daughter of Aphrodite named Piper McLean?"

"Yeah, she died in the war, right?"

"Yeah, and Uncle Jason was in love with her. He was devastated, and he blamed himself for her death. After the war, he ran away from camp and ended up in L.A. That's where he lost control and became addicted to drugs and alcohol."

I was stunned to hear my trainer was a former addict. I had no idea. "Jason? An addict?"

"Hard to believe, right? Apparently it runs in the family. Mom says my grandmother was the same way. That's why my mom won't touch alcohol. Anyway, Uncle Jason was in bad shape—near death. Jupiter wanted to help his son somehow, but he couldn't intervene directly, so he used Mom. He forced Artemis to release Mom from her oath and the Hunt, and he charged her with the task of helping Uncle Jason. She saved his life, but she lost her immortality in the process. His actions cost her the Hunt."

"That's what Jason meant when he said she'd made a huge sacrifice to save him and that he'd always owe her. That's why they don't get along."

"Exactly. But you know, she once told me she forgave him the moment she held me in her arms for the first time. She said I made up for it all. I guess that's why Uncle Jason and I are so close. If it wasn't for him and the death of a girl named Piper, Mom would've never left the Hunt, and I wouldn't exist. That's where my middle name comes from."

"Alexandria Piper Grace."

She nodded then began scratching at her arm. "Fleas?" I asked, jokingly.

She rolled her eyes. "_No._ It's the tattoo. I got a new mark the other day, and it itches like crazy."

"How many marks is that now? How many years with the legion?"

"Six," she said. "I wish the Romans had bead necklaces like Camp Half-Blood, because I'm not fond of the tats."

I shrugged. "I think I'd be cool to have a tattoo."

"Get one," she suggested.

"Can't," I said. "The curse."

"You could get something around your bellybutton," she laughed as she prodded at my navel. Even through my sweatshirt, I could feel the pressure and tingle her touch to my Achilles spot sent through my body. I shivered, and she blushed. "Sorry."

Well, that wasn't awkward at all.

"So, uh, how'd they capture you anyway?" I asked to break-up the awkward moment.

"I got careless," she said. "I was in the Dallas airport waiting for my connecting flight to begin boarding. I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, Finn was there waiting for me. He said he wanted to talk."

"And you believed him?"

"I read his eyes; he was telling the truth." That was a power of hers I sometimes forgot about—her truth-seeing power. "I thought he might've had a change of heart about the Rebellion and Uncle Jason, so I was willing to talk to him. Turns out we didn't do much talking. He pulled out a syringe and drugged me. I vaguely remember leaving the airport and being tied up in the back of a van. When the drug finally wore off, I was being hauled out of the van and thrown into this vault. I gave him a bloody nose for his trouble, though."

"He hit you back," I said as I touched my thumb to her cheek near a purple bruise.

"It's not bad," she said, pulling my hand away. "But it's a little sore, so don't touch it."

"Noah said he had a dream of you and Finn arguing in here."

She shook her head. "I haven't seen Finn since they put me in here."

"I saw him just before they threw me in. I think he was coming to see you, but my arrival spoiled it."

"Did Noah say what we were arguing about?"

"No, but he said it was heated, and he was afraid Finn was going to snap and kill you."

She nodded. "The guy does have anger issues."

"Along with a laundry list of other issues."

She sighed. "Yeah." Family was important to Lexie, and I know it broke her heart that her cousin was with the Rebellion and had no interest in coming home to his true family.

It was silent between us for a moment then she said, "So tell me about the trip down here. Did you three have an adventure without me?"

I told her about the ransom note that was delivered to my house, the blizzard, sasquach, and Noah almost dying in the car crash.

"Wait, Noah almost died?" Lexie gasped. "Oh, my gods, is he okay?"

"He's fine now," I assured her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good."

I continued my story, telling her about the truck and train her father arranged for us, the favor he called in from Thoth, the Duat, the dip in the Mississippi, all of it. She listened with a sad little smile on her face. I think she was wishing she could've been with us.

"What about you?" I asked. "How have they been treating you?"

"Like an animal," she grumbled. "They'll throw in a bottle of water every once in a while, and all I've eaten in two days is a stale peanut butter sandwich they fed me. And don't get me started on the fits I've had to throw to be taken to a bathroom."

I pulled the granola bar I'd bought earlier from my pocket and gave it to her. "Here, it's all I got."

"Oh, my gods," she breathed as she took the bar. "You're my hero."

She ate the granola slowly, savoring every bite. When she finished off the last bite, she smiled. "That was so good. I was starving."

"I'll treat you to a steak dinner when we get outta here."

"When do you think that'll be? When are Noah and Lily supposed to come to the rescue?"

"I'm not sure," I said. "It'll be sometime tonight. Lily's said she'd use her wolf to track me, but it may take a while for them to get here. Lily said to listen for her wolf to howl; that's the signal."

"CJ, why does Barka want you so badly? I mean, I know he wants all mortal legacies to join the Rebellion, but he seems to have a special interest in you. It's like the guy has a crush on you."

I'd wondered about that myself. I'd made it very clear to Barka on more than one occasion that I'd never support or join his cause. So why was he so desperate to get me in his clutches when he knew I wouldn't cooperate? "I don't know, Lexie. I've told him before that I would never join."

"Maybe that's not really what he wants. Maybe he wants you for something else."

I shrugged. "I don't know what it could be."

"Yeah, me either. But at least he's not trying to kill you."

"Not yet, anyway."


	10. Chapter 10

10. Voodoo

Not long after Lexie finished the granola I'd given her, she leaned her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. She must've been exhausted. With the cold temperature in the tomb and her empty stomach, she probably hadn't slept much since she'd been locked up. My own eyes were growing heavy, and before long, I'd fallen asleep, too.

I didn't dream, but it was a restless sleep. I was uncomfortable. Leaning against the stone wall and sitting on the hard stone floor was not an ideal position for a good nap. Lexie kept waking me up, too. She must've been dreaming. She'd twitch and jerk and mumble in her sleep, saying "no" over and over. It was probably a nightmare.

I'd been expecting to wake to the sound of Echo's howls, but hours had gone by and there was still no sign of Noah and Lily. Eventually, I gave up on falling into a deep sleep, so I just sat there with my arm wrapped around Lexie, trying to keep her warm as she slept.

I checked the watch on her wrist, and it read: 12:04 a.m. I knew that wasn't right. It was later than that. Her watch was still set to west coast time. It was actually 2:04 a.m. here in New Orleans.

Lexie woke up about half an hour later. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Thanks for letting me crash on your shoulder. I didn't drool on you, did I?" she asked.

I smiled. "I don't think you did, but you were talking in your sleep."

"Oh, gods, what was I saying?"

"Something about being abducted by aliens."

She rolled her eyes. "You lie."

I laughed. "Yeah."

"You know, this kinda reminds me of the time we pretended that our pillow fort was a dungeon we were trapped in and trying to escape. Do you remember that?"

We were only eight when we built forts out of bed sheets and pillows and imagined them to be dungeons or castles or bunkers, but I remembered. "Yeah, I remember. But back then I never expected to actually be locked in a real dungeon one day. Funny how things change."

"We're together, though," she said. "That hasn't changed."

"Not yet, anyway," I muttered.

"What's that supposed to—" she began, but was cut off by the sound of the mausoleum door opening.

We jumped to our feet as a figure stepped into the doorway. "Come with me," a female voice said, and it wasn't Lily's voice. It was Abigail Mason, mortal granddaughter of Hephaestus and officer in the Rebellion. I'd had a few run-ins with her in the past.

Lexie and I followed Mason out into the cold night air. When we stepped out onto the wide path in front of the tomb, it took a second for my eyes to adjust to the increased light. It wasn't a well-lit cemetery, but the lampposts gave off enough light to see. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw that we weren't alone. Half a dozen members of the Rebellion were there waiting, including Finn and Barka.

Barka took a few steps toward me. "You tried to deceive me, Jackson," he said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

He whistled and shouted over his shoulder, "Bring them out!"

Four figures stepped around the corner of a mausoleum and approached. Two of them were armed and were escorting the other two. When they got closer, I saw what was happening. Noah and Lily had been captured by the Rebellion.

"You know, I figured you'd try to pull a stunt like this," Barka said to me. "It wouldn't be the first time. I've underestimated you before, and you've always just barely slipped through my fingers…but not this time. This time, I have the upper hand."

I cut my eyes over at Noah who was being held at gunpoint. I looked from him to the ground and back again. I was trying to signal for him to do some dirt work with his powers. He understood what I meant, but he just sighed and shook his head, and I knew what that meant. Dammit, this whole cemetery was under the spell. His powers were inhibited.

"Let us go," Lily ordered Barka. "Or I'll be forced to kill you."

He laughed at the little girl threatening his life. He walked over to her and took a good look at her. "I don't believe we've met, Hunter," he said to her. "I'm Collin Barka, leader of the Rebellion."

"I know who you are," she scowled. "I watched you kill my lieutenant four years ago."

"Ah, yes," he nodded. "She was a tough warrior, I'll give her that, but she was too arrogant for her own good."

"The same could be said about you," Lexie grumbled.

He ignored Lexie and continued talking to Lily. "And you took her place as lieutenant, isn't that right, Lily Valdez?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"Oh, I know all about you: Hunter of Artemis since age twelve, mortal daughter of Leo and Hazel Valdez, older sister to mortal Hailey Valdez—who we are very interested in as a potential recruit, by the way."

"You stay the hell away from my sister!" Lily snapped then let out a high-pitched whistle.

Echo stepped out of the shadows, growling and barking as she approached. Everyone took a step back at the sight of the two hundred pound, vicious timber wolf. She was ready to attack, and I knew those razor sharp teeth of hers could easily rip someone's throat out.

"Call off your wolf," Finn ordered.

Lily didn't respond, and Echo kept inching her way toward Barka.

"Beautiful animal," Barka said. "Shame I'll have to put it down."

At those words, Echo leaped at Barka, but he was ready for it. He raised his pistol and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was loud, and the sound bounced off all the stone structures making it even louder. I barely heard Echo yelp over the blast. The wolf hit the ground, unmoving, and there was blood everywhere. Barka had killed her.

"You son of a bitch!" Lily screamed and lunged at Barka, but Noah grabbed her.

"Don't, Lily," Noah said. "He'll only kill you, too."

"He can try," she said as she tried to pull away from Noah.

"Oh, I'm not interested in killing the lieutenant. She's not a demigod," Barka said, raising his gun and pointing it at Lexie. "But I'd be more than happy to kill this bitch who electrocuted me two summers ago. So, let's all calm down before anyone else has to die."

Lexie took a step toward Barka and the gun he was aiming at her. My heart stopped cold in my chest. What was she doing? "I'm not afraid of you," she scowled. "And that gun doesn't scare me, either."

He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her over near Lily and Noah. Finn had his gun aimed at her and a smirk on his face. He definitely wanted to kill her.

"You may not be scared of my gun," Barka said to Lexie as he holstered his weapon. "But there are scarier things than bullets. Like seeing your friends in pain." He pulled what looked like a paper doll from his jacket pocket. It fit in the palm of his hand and was fashioned to look like a person. "Do you know what this is?" he asked.

No one answered. I knew what it looked like, but it couldn't be, could it?

"It's a voodoo doll," he said, confirming my theory. "Voodoo magic is a fascinating practice. Did you know that all it takes to make a voodoo doll work is a simple spell and single drop of blood or strand of hair?" Barka pulled a small blade from his pocket. "The doll works as a proxy. See, if I stab the doll, the person it represents will feel the pain. He or she won't actually be harmed, but the pain is very real."

Lexie rolled her eyes. "You expect us to believe in that hoax hoodoo bullshit?"

"Hoax? No, this is the real deal. How about a demonstration?" he smiled then stabbed the doll in the chest with the knife.

Searing pain. Pain like I'd never felt before burst through my chest like a bomb. I think I screamed. Someone was definitely screaming, and I'm pretty sure it was me. I clutched my chest and fell to my knees. I couldn't catch my breath. I gasped and gasped, but it just made the pain worse.

I was on my hands and knees, trying not to fall over when I heard someone screaming my name. It might've been Lexie or Noah. I looked up to see who it was, but I couldn't see anything. My vision was blurry. Why was my vision blurry? I rubbed my right eye, and it was wet. I was crying.

The pain raging through my body was debilitating. Because of the curse of Achilles, I wasn't used to any kind of pain at all, much less the blinding pain I was in now, and I was totally overwhelmed by it. I couldn't push through it, I couldn't ignore it, I couldn't do anything at all. I felt so helpless. I was on my hands and knees, screaming and crying, and there was nothing I could do about it. It was not my finest moment. I didn't want my friends to see me like this, and I didn't want the Rebellion to see it either. I was weak. Everyone was seeing me weak and failing. I was at an all time low.

The pain eased for a brief minute, and I was able to catch my breath. I could hear people shouting, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. It was like the whole world had faded into the background; it was just an echo that surrounded me.

Then the crippling pain struck again, but this time it was in my back. I screamed again and begged for it to stop. Oh, gods, please, make it stop. I'd do anything to make it stop.

Then, like a miracle, it stopped. I was still on my knees, gasping for breath and tears rolling down my face. After a minute of taking deep breaths, I'd recovered enough to look up and take in my surroundings.

Lily had Lexie by the arms, holding her back as she struggled to get free of the Hunter's grip. Finn was standing next to them with a gun pointed directly at Lexie. Mason was standing beside a stone-faced Noah with the barrel of her gun pressing against his head. Barka and a few other members of the Rebellion were hovering over me. It was a standoff.

"What'll it be, Jackson?" Barka asked. "Come with us, and we'll let your friends go or fight, and we'll kill them…and torture you some more. It's your call."

"I'll do whatever you want," I panted. "Just don't hurt them. Let them go."

"CJ!" Lexie yelled. "Don't!"

I didn't acknowledge her. Instead, I looked straight at the Hunter. "Lily, get her out of here. Go!"

"No!" Lexie screamed. "CJ, no! Don't do this!"

I shook my head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lexie, but it's the only way."

Lexie was struggling against Lily and Noah who were dragging her away. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Chase Jackson, don't you leave me! Please!"

I couldn't see them in danger anymore. I couldn't listen to Lexie's pleads anymore. I couldn't watch her cry anymore. "Go!" I shouted at them. "Do it, _now_!"

They turned and ran. Lexie and Noah looked over their shoulders back at me then disappeared in the maze of tombs.

I breathed a sigh of relief that Barka let my friends go unharmed. I was still on my knees and had no desire to stand, so I plopped down on my ass, drew up my knees, and rested my arms and head on them.

"You made the right choice," Barka said to me.

I looked up at him. "There was no _choice_," I spat. "I didn't _have_ a choice."

"Fair enough," he said then knelt beside me. "I truly hoped that you'd set aside this absurd loyalty you have to demigods and see that what we're doing is for the greater good, but I've come to realize you won't do that."

"Greater good?" I gaped. "Killing demigods isn't the answer to your problems. It's just your sadistic way of getting back at the world for being born with clear sight. But you're right about one thing, I'll never agree with your mission, and I'll never join you."

"And that's why I no longer feel that you should join. I have no use for you, save for one."

"And what's that?" I asked.

"You have something I want, and I'm going to take it." He stood and waved for me to get up. "Let's go," he ordered.

I didn't want to go with him. I wanted to run, but like he said, he had the upper hand this time. He still had that evil doll in his hand, and I knew what he'd do with it if I tried to run. I couldn't go through that pain again, so I cooperated.

I was put in the back of the same van I was transported in earlier, and we were off to a different location. During the drive, I wondered what I had that Barka could possibly want. Did he want money, information, my awesome video game collection? I had no clue what he wanted from me, but I had a feeling it was something I wouldn't be willing to give up freely.

After a thirty-minute drive, I was taken out of the van and escorted to a small warehouse. There were many warehouses on the block, but because it was the middle of the night, the area was void of people other than us.

The warehouse was dark green in color, stood about two stories tall, and had two loading bays. Barka and Finn walked me to a door that led into the warehouse. Before we entered, Barka turned to Finn. "No interruptions unless it's life or death, understand?" Barka said to him.

Finn nodded. "I'll get a few more guys out here to guard the warehouse, too."

"Good idea. She should be here any minute. Just send her in."

"Got it," Finn said, then pulled out his cell phone to make a call.

Barka opened the door, and we walked into the warehouse. This was not the first time I'd been in a warehouse with Barka. The first time I met him and learned of the Rebellion was in a shipping container storage warehouse in Sparta, Georgia over three years ago. That warehouse burned to the ground, and I saved Barka's life that day—a decision I'd come to regret.

This warehouse was much smaller than the last and was filled with rows of shelving that stored what looked like car parts. I followed Barka through the warehouse, mapping the place in my head as we walked. In the right rear corner of the warehouse was an office. There was a large picture window to the left of the office door, but it was blacked out with spray paint, so I couldn't see into the office.

Barka pulled a set of keys from his jacket pocket and unlocked the door. The office looked nothing like an office; it looked like a cubicle in an infirmary, which made me nervous. There were two cots in the center of the small room and between the cots was a folding metal chair and a small table with bowls, towels, and sharp pointed instruments sitting on it. Plugged into a wall outlet was a small space heater, and that was the extent of the room's furnishings. What was this place? And what was he planning to do in here?

"Go ahead and take a seat on one of the cots," Barka said to me. "Make yourself comfortable."

"I'd rather stand, thanks," I grumbled.

"It wasn't a request, Jackson."

I didn't like it, but I did as he said. I knew he still had that voodoo doll in his pocket, and I really didn't want him to feel the need to use it again. I probably sound like a wimp, but godsbedamned, it hurt when he used it.

Hurt, now there's a word I didn't use often. Pain was never an issue for me, unless of course, I got hit in the gut, which I tried to avoid. I didn't avoid stubbing my toe on the stairs, getting a shin knock by a baseball or bumping into the dining room table, things like that. Dad always laughed at me and called me a clumsy kid, but Mom, with her infinite wisdom and logic, said I wasn't clumsy, I just didn't actively avoid those things, because I didn't suffer a consequence.

Knowing what Barka could do to me, what kind of pain he could put me through, made me actively avoid what would cause it. I felt vulnerable and violated and scared. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"What exactly is it that you want from me?" I asked him.

"What if I told you everything could be different for you? Would you believe me if I told you I could make your life easier? That you could go back to the way things were when you didn't go to camp, before you learned that you were the one spoken of in the prophecy. Would you want that?"

Would I want to be a normal kid again? That was something to think about. I might. "I've been chosen by the Fates, and nobody can change that," I said.

He shrugged. "We'll see."

Before I could ask what he meant, the office door opened and a young woman walked in.

"Ah'm here, beb," she said to Barka in a thick Louisiana Cajun dialect that I didn't quite understand. "Dis de moodee boa?"

The woman looked to be in her early twenties—around Barka's age—and was thin as a rail. Her long black hair was in dreads with colorful ribbons woven in, and her dark chocolate skin was dotted with tattoos and brands. Charms and amulets hung from her neck and wrists and a backpack was slung over her shoulder. She was wearing rags like you'd expect to see a homeless person wearing, but I think that was just her fashion—a kinda gypsy look.

Barka nodded to the woman. "This is him."

She walked a circle around me, studying me and licking her lips, showing a few gold teeth as she did. This chick was creeping me out.

"Don luk lak mucha nuttin," she said as she observed me. "Bud ah smell da gree gree own em."

"Uh, what did she just say?" I asked.

Barka rolled his eyes. Apparently I was supposed understand the Cajun dialect. "She said you don't look like much of anything, but she can smell the curse on you," he translated.

She could smell the curse of Achilles? I didn't know it had a smell. "I guess I should get some better deodorant," I said.

"Dat don matta," she said to me. "Nuttin gonna ranch off dat stink."

Who was this woman? "Who is she?" I asked Barka.

"Ruby Boundreaux," he said, pronouncing her surname _Bondrow_. "A very talented voodoo priestess who is well on her way to becoming the next voodoo Queen of New Orleans."

The priestess smiled, gold teeth shining. "Aw, beb, ya flatta me."

"I only speak the truth, ma fran," Barka said to her, saying _my friend_ in the Cajun dialect. "Now, should we get started?"

"Ya gat ma monies?" she asked him.

He pulled two bricks of hundred dollar bills from an inside pocket of his jacket. "Ten thousand," he said as he handed the woman the money.

She took the cash giddily. "Gah lee, use a good anast man, beb. Ah'll get dat gree gree outta da boa an own ya dubba time."

Listening to her talk and trying to decipher what she was actually saying was turning my brain to mush, but I'm fairly certain that last sentence meant she was going to take my curse away and give it to Barka.

I blinked. "Did she just say what I think she said?"

Barka grinned. "If you think she said she's going to transfer the curse of Achilles from you to me, then you heard right."

Oh, crap.


	11. Chapter 11

11. Dreamland

I had to get out of there. If that doll was any indication of just how dark and powerful voodoo magic could be, I had no doubt that the priestess could transfer the curse of Achilles from me to Barka.

I'd sometimes wondered what it would be like to be normal, to be as vulnerable as everyone else, and I knew that someday I would know. Someday the curse would be gone; I just didn't think it would be this soon. I knew that when I was grown and starting a family of my own, I'd pass the curse on to my first-born child, and I was okay with that. I was not okay with losing it to Barka—an enemy who would be unstoppable with the curse of Achilles. I _had_ to get out of this mess somehow.

I was on my feet. "You can't have my curse," I said, and I was dead serious. "You'll have to kill me first."

Barka chuckled. "Well, I'd say that could be arranged, but you're not too easy to kill, are you? Of all the intelligence I've gathered on you over the years, I never learned where your weakness is. When the transfer is complete, though, I'd be happy to oblige."

"There's not going to be a transfer," I barked.

He stepped up to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. "Try to stop me," he challenged.

I wanted to go for my pen, but even if the warehouse wasn't under an inhibiting spell, my sword would still be useless. Barka was mortal, and I'd be willing to bet the voodoo priestess was mortal, too. My celestial bronze blade would simply pass through them like a phantom. I'd be better off trying to poke Barka in the eye with the pen's silver casing—which wasn't a bad idea. Maybe the pen really could be mightier than the sword. Seriously though, I needed to invest in a weapon that would be a threat to the Rebellion. Why hadn't I done that yet?

I didn't have a useful weapon, but I had my body, so I used it. I balled my fists and started swinging. I was best with a sword, but I could still scrap. Spend a few rounds in a boxing ring with a child of Ares and you learn how to land a good blow.

Unfortunately, Barka was a good fighter, too. He managed to block most of my punches, but I did give him a nice shiner on his left eye. He landed some punches to my face that would've disfigured a normal person, but they had no effect on me, other than the force making me stagger a bit.

"Dis is dum!" Ruby scolded. "Ew two ak right!"

Barka and I continued throwing punches, ignoring the scolding we were getting from the priestess. I tried for a swift kick to his ribs while he was off balance, but I was too slow. He caught my foot and twisted. I lost my balance and crashed face-first onto the concrete floor. I rolled and came up as fast as I could, but I went right back down as pain exploded through my head. My eyes hurt, my ears hurt, my teeth hurt, even my hair hurt. Barka had pulled the voodoo doll from his pocket while I was down, and now he was using it to incapacitate me. It was definitely working.

I was on the floor, balled up in the fetal position, and clutching my head with both hands. My head throbbed with pain and my eyes and eardrums felt like they were going to burst. I was screaming, which only made the pain in my head more intense, but I couldn't stop. I wanted to pull myself together, stop screaming, and get back to my feet, but I couldn't. The pain was paralyzing.

"Dass enuf," I heard Ruby say to Barka.

"No!" he spat. "He's got to learn some respect."

The pain worsened—if that was even possible. Every beat of my heart felt like a sledgehammer driving into my skull, and as panicked as I was, my heart was racing. The pain was a drum roll being played inside my skull. It was agony.

I finally stopped screaming when I didn't have the energy for it anymore. I could hear myself whimpering, though, and with every sob, the pain struck even harder. My hands trembled against my throbbing head and my ears boomed with the sound of rushing blood. The pain was excruciating, and I prayed to the gods to please just let me die. Then my vision went black. I finally passed out from the intense pain.

I don't know how long I was out, but it couldn't have been too long. When I woke, I found myself tied to one of the cots. I was on my back, and my wrists and ankles were tightly bound to the cot with rope. I breathed a sigh of relief. I still had the curse. If I didn't, I'd feel pain on my wrists where the rope was synched tight, but I only felt a slight pressure against my skin. And my head didn't hurt anymore—not a bit. I was weak and tired, though. My eyes were heavy, and I felt like I could sleep for a month.

I looked to my left to see a wall and space heater, then I turned my head to the right where I saw Ruby sitting in the folding metal chair and Barka laying on the other cot. Barka looked like he was asleep. He had red splotches on his cheeks, which looked like dried blood. I think I had it on my face, too.

Ruby was facing the table, which was cluttered with lit candles and incense, small bones, charms, stone bowls, and that evil voodoo doll that had caused me so much pain. I watched the priestess put blood and black hair (my hair, I think) into one of the bowls and begin stirring. She was humming and singing as she worked her magic, and I wondered how close she was to completing the transfer.

"Please, don't do this," I whispered to the priestess. My voice sounded raspy, and my mouth was dry. "Please."

"Hush, now," she said, not taking her eyes off her work.

"Please, miss," I said, trying to gain her sympathy. "I don't want to lose the curse."

She turned to me. "Can ah axe ya sumtin?" she said, which I translated as _can I ask you something_.

I nodded.

"Why ya wanna be a moodee boa?"

"Moodee boa?" I asked. I didn't understand what that meant.

"Cused boy," she clarified. "Ya don wanna be a regalur boy?"

"I…" I hesitated. A regular boy…that did sound nice. But, no, I couldn't think like that. "I'm a child of prophecy, and I have a job to do. I can't do that job without the curse of Achilles. It's the only advantage I have."

She turned back to the table and began grinding up a few small bones in a stone bowl. "Ya take a bat in da Riva Styx da get dat cus?" she asked.

"No," I answered. "I didn't bathe in the Styx, but my father did. The curse passed from him to me."

She nodded. "Dat happans a lat—famlay cuses."

"You know a lot about curses?" I asked.

"Ah do. Ah've put da gree gree own many a enamy," she said then turned to look a Barka. "Bud neva a fran…till now."

"You don't have to do this. Please, don't do this, Ruby. I'm begging you."

It was silent between us for a moment while Ruby continued her work. Then she stopped and turned to me. "Ah lak ya, boa, bud ah mad a dill wit Barka. Ah ain't goin bak own ma wurd."

"You like me, but you won't stop this?" I asked, making sure I understood her correctly.

She nodded. "A dill's a dill."

"Ruby—"

"Give it a rest, Chase," Barka interrupted. "You're not going to change her mind."

"Screw you, Collin," I grumbled, and he just laughed.

I tugged on the ropes that had me bound to the cot. They weren't budging. I was stuck. How the heck was I going to get out of here?

"Be still," Ruby said as she turned to me and painted my forehead with the blood, bone, and hair mixture. She did the same to Barka.

"What's that for?" I asked her.

"Potta da richal," she said. "It cannects ew two."

"How long does this ritual take?"

"Cupa ires."

A couple of hours. That would give me a little time to come up with a plan to get out of here.

"Seep, now," Ruby said as she gently closed my eyelids with her fingertips.

I suddenly felt even more tired and sleepy than I already was. I tried to fight the sudden and increasing exhaustion, but I couldn't. So much for coming up with a plan. I was out like a light in seconds.

My head spun. I was so dizzy it was making me nauseous. I blinked my eyes open to get my bearings and found myself laying on sharp black gravel—obsidian. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and hissed as pain stabbed at the palm of my hand. I looked at my palm and saw shards of obsidian stuck in my skin and blood trickling out of the wounds. That was the first time I'd ever seen my own blood. I was going to throw-up.

"The sight of blood makes you queasy?"

I looked up at the person speaking to me. It was Barka. He was walking toward me, black gravel crunching beneath his boots. He offered me his hand to help me to my feet. I refused it and stood by my own power.

"Just the sight of my own blood," I said to him as I picked the shards of glass-like stone from my palm.

He shrugged. "Eh, you get used to it."

"I'd rather not."

Barka glanced around and asked, "Any idea where we are?"

I took a look at our surroundings. We were standing on the shore of a river. The black water of the river churned and swirled with litter: broken toys, ripped-up college diplomas, wilted homecoming corsages. I knew where we were.

"The Underworld," I answered. "This is the River Styx, the origin of the curse of Achilles."

"Come here often?"

I shook my head. "This is a first for me."

Barka knelt down at the water's edge and reached out to dip a finger.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I said.

He ignored my warning and stuck his hand in anyway. He immediately jerked it out of the black water and cradled it against his chest. "Son of a bitch!" he shrieked. "It's acid."

"Can't say I didn't warn you," I chuckled.

He examined his trembling hand, which was bright red and raw. It looked like he had a severe chemical burn. Good for him. The asshole deserved it.

"You want to explain why the hell were here in…hell?" he grumbled.

Was he for real? I rolled my eyes. "It's a dream, dipshit."

"A dream. How are we sharing the same dream?"

"That blood mixture Ruby put on our foreheads," I guessed. "She said it would connect us."

He rubbed his forehead with his good hand. There was no dried blood there, but this was a dream, so there wouldn't be. He glared at me. "Maybe I should just kill you here in your sleep and take your curse," he said.

I raised my wounded hand. "I don't have the curse of Achilles here."

"Maybe Ruby's already taken it from you."

"Well, if she has, she hasn't given it to you yet," I said, pointing at his burned hand.

"She will, though. Count on it."

"Why do you want the curse of Achilles so badly?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him.

"You've probably already guessed that we plan to go to war with demigods, and the curse would make me undefeatable. My mission won't fail as long as I'm around to keep it going."

"How many demigods have you killed so far?" I asked. I wanted to know how deep he was in this mission of his.

"Many," he said. "And you probably think that makes me a monster, but I have my reasons. If I have to sacrifice my own soul to make the world a better place for all clear-sighted mortals, then so be it."

"Gods, what happened to you, Barka? What turned you into a murderer?"

He turned his back to me and stared out at the black water. He sighed. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," I said. "I want to understand why. There's a line in the Great Prophecy that says _friend's and_ _enemy's views must bend or see a war without an end._ Maybe if we understood each other better, we could work together to figure out a way to help your people, instead of your people killing my people. Maybe we could avoid a civil war."

He didn't speak for several minutes, but he finally asked, "How old were you when the sight began to manifest?"

I started noticing strange things at an early age. I was aware that I was legacy, so my ability to see through the Mist developed when I was just a toddler. "I was two or three, I guess. How about you?"

"I was five. I'd just started school when I started to see monsters."

"That's young for a mortal."

He nodded. "My parents thought I was crazy, that I had some sort of psychological disorder. I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital when I was six. That was the first of many stays in mental institutions.

"When I was ten, my parents gave up on me. I'd been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and no amount of pills the doctors fed me stopped me from seeing. I was incurable. The stress over my condition drove my parents apart. They divorced, and I was committed to an institution—permanently. I never saw them again.

"It wasn't until I was twelve and befriended a new resident of the institution that I discovered I didn't have schizophrenia, but had clear-sight. Her name was Kayla, and she was a clear-sighted mortal, too. We became best friends, and we ran away from the institution together. We tried to help each other deal with the walking nightmares we saw while we were living on the streets and in abandoned buildings, but she couldn't cope with the sight." He shook his head. "I should've never taken her out of that institution."

"What happened?" I asked.

He turned to me. "She killed herself. She was thirteen years old, and she killed herself so she wouldn't have to live in the nightmare anymore."

Oh, gods. "I…I'm sorry."

"I'm not telling you this to get your sympathy. You wanted to know why I became a killer, well, there's your answer. Now you see how the other half live. Most members of the Rebellion have similar stories, and we have many, many members. The only way to help all of them, and all the other clear-sighted mortals out there is to change the world they live in, and the only way to do that is to destroy the root of the problem—demigods and eventually the gods. There _will_ be a war, and we _will _win."

"I can't let that happen," I said. "I'm going to stop you."

"You'll try, but you'll fail."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: A preview of the summary of _Heroes and Legacies Book 5:_ _Under the Influence_ is now up on my bio.**

12. Payback

I was _so_ ready to wake up from this crappy dream that I was being forced to share with my archenemy. I'd had vivid dreams before—most heroes did. This dream was different, though, because I wasn't simply an observer; I was interacting with my surroundings, and I had company. There was more to this dream than it simply being a vision or warning.

This dream must've been arranged by the voodoo priestess. It must've been part of the ritual to transfer the curse. Proof of that theory: Ruby appeared, walking down the shore of the River Styx toward Barka and me.

"Dis pace is ugly," she said while looking around. She fanned her hand near her crinkled nose and made a disgusted face. "An it stinks, too."

"Ruby, why are we having this dream?" Barka asked her.

"Dis is wur da gree gree com frum," she said, pointing at the river. "An ta take it frum da boa, ya gotta urn it. Ya gotta go in."

His eyebrows shot up. "You want me to take a dip in the river to earn the curse?" he gaped. "The water's acid! It'll kill me!" If only I were that lucky.

She put her hands on her hips at his complaints. "I tode ya dis weren't gonna be easy. Ya said ya cood hanle it."

Barka was pacing in frustration. He'd already had a little taste of the River Styx, and I could tell he didn't want to experience that again. "You said it would be a challenge," he grumbled. "You didn't say anything about taking a bath in acid."

She shrugged her bony shoulders. "Welp, ya ain't gotta do it, bud if ya wont da cus, dis is how ya get it. Uddawise, da boa keeps it."

Did she just say I'd keep the curse of Achilles if Barka didn't go into the water? "You mean I still have the curse?" I asked Ruby.

She waggled her hand in a so-so gesture. "Kina. It in limbo, bud anless Barka takes it, it still be yours."

So, to keep the curse, I couldn't let Barka go into the water. I'd have to stop him.

Ruby looked over her shoulder like she heard something, then urgently turned back to Barka. "If ya gonna do dis, ya betta hurry. Dey comin' for da boa."

Someone was coming for me? Ha! My friends must've been mounting a rescue operation.

"Who's coming for him?" Barka asked with alarm.

"Dunno, bud dey gots da wurhouse s'rounded. Dey be bustin' in shotly. Ya gotta do dis bafore dey inarupt or it be ova."

Barka turned to the river and took a hesitant step toward the water, at which point I tackled him to the ground. If he wanted to take my curse for himself, he'd have to fight me for it. It was part of me, and I wasn't going to let it go without a fight. I think that's why I was here. Ruby was giving me a fighting chance to keep what was rightfully mine.

Barka and I hit the black gravel and rolled. I could feel the glass-like stone tearing into my skin, and it hurt, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain I'd been through earlier when Barka had used the voodoo doll. This was just little stings, and I was able to ignore it…mostly.

We struggled with one another, kicking and rolling and throwing punches. My body went from barely complaining about the pain to screaming about it as we fought. It was distracting, and that distraction allowed Barka to beat on me pretty good. But as long he was fighting me, he wasn't able to take the curse away, so I held onto him and took a beating to keep him out of the river.

"Shit! Dey here!" Ruby shouted, then I woke up to the sound of shattering glass.

I was groggy and tired and still hog-tied to that damn cot, but my body didn't hurt or ache anymore. The curse of Achilles was back—thank the gods.

When blinked my eyes and my vision cleared, I saw what had happened and what was happening. The blacked-out picture window in the wall by the door had been shattered, and I watched a girl jump through the opening. She landed on her feet, set herself in a fighting stance, and raised her weapon as she examined her surroundings.

It was Lexie. And she had a gun. I was used to seeing her with her bow drawn, but her bow was in hairpin-form holding up her brown and blond locks in a messy bun. Seeing her with a handgun was definitely a surprise. She held the pistol steadily in a two-handed combat grip that displayed the poise and confidence she always had in battle, and it made her look like a certified badass. Oh, and it was _really_ hot_._

"CJ!" she called to me. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just a little tied up at the moment," I replied.

Ruby backed up to the far wall in the office, and Barka leaped off his cot and went for his holstered pistol.

"Don't move!" Lexie ordered him while aiming her pistol at him.

He never paused. He drew his gun, but before he could raise it, Lexie shot him. The blast was unbelievably loud, and Barka hit the floor hard, his gun flying out of his hand and skidding across the floor to rest under the cot I was laying on.

It all happened so fast, but in that instant, I knew a transition was in the making. To stand any chance against the Rebellion, we'd have to ditch our antiquated weaponry and get with the times. Lexie had just done that and was successful.

Barka was hit in the left shoulder, and blood was soaking through his shirt. He grumbled and cussed at Lexie as he scooted himself across the concrete floor, coming to rest against a wall of the office. Lexie had her gun trained on him and was keeping an eye on Ruby, too.

Ruby. Maybe she could untie me. "Hey, Ruby," I called to the priestess. "A little help over here, please?"

She hesitated, but she walked toward me, staying well away from Lexie and her gun.

"CJ, can she be trusted?" Lexie asked as Ruby made her way over to me.

Ruby held her hands up in surrender. "Ah mean da boa no harm," she said to Lexie.

"If you're lying, I'll kill you," Lexie warned her, and she meant it.

"Ah hears ya lad an clear," Ruby said then began untying my wrists from the cot. "Boa, ya mean a lat ta dat gal," she whispered to me. "Ya not gonna let her hut me, are ya?"

"I won't let her hurt you _if_ you promise me you'll never work for Barka or the Rebellion again," I bargained.

"Ah won't," she said. "Ah swears it."

I helped her unite my ankles once my hands were free and said, "Okay, then. We have a deal. I'll get you out of here safely."

"Ah's sorry 'bout all dis," she sighed. I could tell she really did regret that she'd tried to help Barka. "Ah din't know use a good ole boa when ah took da job."

"It's okay, Ruby," I said as I reached under the cot and grabbed Barka's pistol. "We all make mistakes. You fixed your mistake, so we're good."

I ran over to Lexie who was still standing over Barka. "Nice rescue," I said to her.

She grinned. "Just returning the favor."

Suddenly, shots rang out inside the warehouse, and I could hear bullets ricocheting throughout the building. I also heard high-pitched whistling sounds—a bunch of them. Then howls and screeches filled the air like there was a pack of wolves and birds or prey outside the warehouse.

"What's going on out there?" I asked Lexie.

"The Hunters are holding off the Rebellion so I can get you out."

"The Hunters?" I blinked. "All of them?"

She nodded. "Yep. Lily called them in so we could mount a rescue mission."

I was touched. I didn't think Lily cared. "That was sweet of her," I said.

"She didn't do it for you. She did it for revenge…and because I refused to leave New Orleans without you."

"Lexie!" I heard Noah's voice echo in the warehouse. "We need to get out of here!"

"We're coming, Noah!" she called back to him. She turned to me. "Time to go."

"What about him?" I asked, nodding at Barka who was sitting on the floor and clutching his wounded shoulder.

"That's up to you."

I looked at the pistol in my hand. "Lexie, make sure Ruby gets out safely. I'll be out in a minute."

Lexie rested her hand on my shoulder. "Don't do anything you can't live with, CJ."

I nodded to her, then she and Ruby left the room. I was alone with Barka, and this time I had the upper hand.

I knelt beside him. "How's the shoulder?" I asked about his bullet wound that looked pretty nasty, but wasn't lethal.

"It hurts like hell," he hissed and narrowed his eyes at me. "And I'm sure you're loving every minute of this."

"Maybe," I said. "But you know what I'd love even more?" I pressed the business end of the handgun against his shoulder, digging the barrel into the wound, and he screamed in pain. I pressed harder, and he screamed louder. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" I growled. I was angry for what he'd done to me. He'd made me weak and helpless and vulnerable when he used that voodoo doll. A little payback was in order.

I let him scream a little longer, then pulled the gun away from his wound. He gasped for breath and clutched his shoulder with his right hand. "You son of a bitch!" he panted. "I'll kill you for this!"

"You'll try, but you'll fail," I said, repeating the words he'd said to me in the dream.

I turned the gun over in my hand and pistol-whipped the asshole across the face, knocking him out cold. I could've killed him. I should've killed him. But Lexie's words kept ringing in my head: _don't do anything you can't live with_. My fatal flaw—my compassion—had won out again. I'd gotten payback for the pain he'd caused me, and that was good enough…for now. So instead of killing him, I left him there, unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

I left the office, but not before grabbing the voodoo doll that was sitting on the table. That doll had caused me tremendous pain, and no way was I letting it back into Barka's hands.

I made my way through the rows of shelving in the warehouse. The place was a war zone. There were arrows flying everywhere, and gunshots echoed throughout the warehouse. Young girls dressed in silver camouflage were scattered around the warehouse, facing off against the members of the Rebellion.

I needed to get out of there before I got caught in the crossfire and took an unlucky hit to my Achilles spot. I zigzagged through the shelving, making my way toward the door. When I made it to the door, I burst out of it to find myself looking at the same scene I saw inside. The Hunters were firing arrows at the Rebellion, and they were firing their guns back at the Hunters. I saw a few timber wolves chasing a member of the Rebellion down an alleyway, and hunting falcons were dive-bombing other Rebellion members.

"CJ!" a voice called out to me. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Noah standing in an alleyway, waving at me to run to him, so I did.

Once in the alley and out of the heart of the battle, I saw that Noah wasn't alone. Lexie and Lily were there with him. Noah handed my backpack to me. He'd had it since we split-up last night. I'd entrusted him with my pack, because Thoth's scroll was in it. I didn't need to be losing it or it falling into the hands of the Rebellion.

"Thanks, bro," I said as I took my pack off his hands. As I strapped on my pack, I turned to Lexie. "Did she make it out?" I asked about Ruby. I had trusted Lexie to get her out safely, but I wasn't expecting the fighting to be so intense. I hoped Ruby hadn't gotten hurt.

Lexie gripped my arm for assurance. "I got her out. She's fine, but she took off. I don't know where she went."

"Thanks, Lexie."

"So, Lexie said she wounded Barka," Lily said to me. "Did you finish the job?"

Finish the job? I blinked. "Are you asking if I killed him?"

She stared at me expectantly. "Well, did you?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I told you that's not my style."

She rubbed her forehead like my compassion was giving her a headache. "You're such a pansy."

"Hey!" Lexie snapped at the lieutenant. "You're outta line. CJ's not a killer, which makes him a better person than you."

"I don't claim to be a good person," Lily snapped back at Lexie. I don't think she was used to being spoken to like that by another girl. "I'm a leader, and I make the tough decisions. I'm not afraid to deal out justice, and I will bring Barka to justice." Lily turned to me. "You said you wouldn't try to stop me from seeking vengeance for my fallen Hunters. Are you going to keep your word?"

Four of Lily's Hunters and her wolf, Echo, had been killed by the Rebellion—possibly even more today. Who was I to stop her from getting revenge? "Do what you have to do, but I don't want to be involved."

"Very well," she nodded. "You three get out of here. We'll clean up this mess. And Lexie, I'll be in touch."

Lexie gave a nod of acknowledgement to the lieutenant.

"Thanks for all your help, Lily," I said, and I sincerely meant it. I couldn't have done this without her. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, CJ. You saved my life yesterday; we're even. Now, go. Get back to New York."

Lexie, Noah, and I took off running down the alley, away from the battle being waged between the Hunters of Artemis and the Rebellion. Lexie and I ditched our guns in a dumpster as we ran by. Guns were something the Mist wouldn't hide from the mortal world, and we definitely didn't need to be caught carrying by the authorities.

We sprinted from the warehouse district in the early morning darkness that was just beginning to give way to light, and we didn't look back. We ran until we could barely hear the gunshots anymore, and we steered clear of the wailing police sirens that were making a beeline for the warehouse district.

Once we'd slowed to a walk, I asked, "Will the Hunters be okay?"

I wasn't asking anyone in particular, just wondering aloud, but Lexie answered, "They'll be fine. They're like shadows. They'll disappear without a trace."

That was good. I didn't want any of them to be arrested by the New Orleans police for…how would they spin that? Gang violence?

"I have a question," Noah said as we walked. "How are we going to get back to New York?"

"To be perfectly honest, Noah," Lexie said then paused as she yawned. "I don't really care as long as I can sleep on the trip."

I completely agreed. I needed to sit down before I fell down. I was so exhausted I could barely function. "There's an Amtrak station here, I'm pretty sure," I said. I wasn't crazy about the idea of taking a train back to New York (it would be a _looong_ trip), but I sure as hell wasn't taking a bus. Been there, done that, not fun.

"I wonder what the odds are of us getting a cab to the nearest train station at…" Noah glanced at his watch. "Six in the morning?"

A sputtering engine approached up the street behind us, and we turned to see an old beat-up Ford Taurus pull up next to us. The driver's side window slowly came down, and I was surprised to see Ruby sitting in the driver's seat. "Y'all needa ride?" she asked.

I immediately scanned my surroundings, making sure she was alone, that she hadn't been followed by the Rebellion. Noah and Lexie were doing the same thing, I noticed. "You're alone?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Dey din't falla me. Gat in."

We climbed into the car. I took the front seat and Lexie and Noah took the back. "Thanks, Ruby," I said as I fastened my seatbelt.

"Don tank me, jus tell me wur ya wanna go."

"The train station," I said. "We need to get on the next Amtrak outta here."

"Das nat too far. Ah'll get ya der," she said as she slammed on the accelerator, throwing me back against my seat.

Ruby was right. It was only about a fifteen-minute drive to the Amtrak station. After giving Ruby our thanks and saying goodbye, we went into the station to buy three tickets to New York.

This wouldn't be the first time Lexie, Noah, and I would be riding the train together. On our very first quest together during my first summer at camp, we'd taken the train to Georgia. It felt like such a long time ago. I barely knew them then. I'd only met Noah a week before we went on that quest, and at that time, it had been six years since I'd last seen Lexie. They were essentially strangers to me then, but now, three years later, we were all best friends.

Noah and I split the cost of the tickets, and we settled into our seats on the train. It would take twenty-seven hours to get to New York, and I planned to sleep the majority of them. Noah and Lexie must've had the same idea, because we were all three asleep before the train even left the station.


	13. Chapter 13

13. Brooklyn House

I woke to the sound of Noah mumbling in his sleep. He was sitting across from me, kicked back in his seat. I looked to my right to see if Lexie was still asleep, but her seat was empty. Panic washed over me. Where was she? Had she been taken again? I bolted up out of my seat and began scanning the passenger car.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin. I jerked to the left and saw Lexie standing there, biting her bottom lip, and trying not to laugh at me.

"Jeez, Lexie, don't sneak up on me like that," I gasped. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Since when do you startle so easily?" she asked with a little laugh.

"Since I woke up and you were gone. I was worried you'd been taken again."

I guess she could tell how concerned I'd been about her, because her smile faded and she reached out and gripped my forearm tightly. "I just went to the bathroom. Sorry I scared you."

I ran my hands through my hair to try to shake off the anxiety. "I'm just a little on edge, I guess."

"That's understandable," she said as she stepped by me and took her seat. "We've all been stressed out these last few days."

I plopped down in my seat beside her. "Being a hero sucks sometimes."

"Yeah," she sighed. "It does. Like watching Barka torture you and not being able to do anything about it. That really sucked."

I took in a sharp breath. I didn't even want to think about it. The memory of the pain gave me phantom aches in my chest, back, and head. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes, trying to think of anything other than that agony I was put through.

"Are you okay?" Lexie asked me.

I rubbed my eyes and turned to her. "I'm fine. Embarrassed more than anything."

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"Laying on the ground, screaming and crying isn't manly or heroic; it's shameful. And I came to rescue you from the Rebellion, but turns out you had to rescue me instead. That's humiliating, Lexie."

"You want to talk about shameful? I left you there in that cemetery at the mercy of Barka. I ran away like a coward instead of fighting for you. I saw what he did to you…" she paused when her voice began to crack. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and continued, "CJ, I am _so_ sorry I left you behind."

"I told you to go. I didn't want them to hurt you, too. You have nothing to apologize for or be ashamed of. You're not a coward, Lexie," I insisted. "And you didn't leave me behind. You came back for me. You saved me. Barka was trying to take the curse of Achilles away from me when you showed up."

"He what?" she gasped. "How?"

I explained everything that happened in the warehouse before she showed up. "You were right," I said. "He didn't want me to join him anymore; he wanted something else. He wanted to be invincible, and he almost got it."

She shook her head and exhaled, "My gods."

"And the crazy thing about it, for a minute there, a part of me wanted him to succeed," I admitted. "A part of me wanted to be free of it all: the curse, the prophecy, the pressure, the hero's life. A part of me wanted to be normal. I'm the coward, Lexie, not you."

"Wanting normalcy doesn't make you a coward, CJ," she said as she took my hand in hers. "And passing it up to do the right thing makes you brave."

I squeezed her hand. It felt really good in mine—like that was where it was meant to be. I just hoped my palm wasn't too disgustingly sweaty. "Speaking of brave," I said. "You kicked ass back in that warehouse. Where'd you get a gun and when did you learn to shoot?"

"Mom taught me to shoot last year. She carries—all the bounty hunters do—and she thought it was time I learned. And as for the gun, I took it off Finn's hands after I bashed him over the head with an empty beer bottle I found in the alley."

"Cousinly love, huh?" I laughed.

She chuckled a little and said, "If that douche didn't look so much like Uncle Jason, I'd never believe they were father and son. They're nothing alike."

"Do you think Jason will ever be able to connect with him?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I doubt it. Finn is set in his ways. Unless something changes drastically, I think he'll always be loyal to the Rebellion…unfortunately."

"If he's even still alive," Noah said. I hadn't even noticed that he'd woken up. "Lily and the Hunters could've killed him…and Barka. Lily certainly wanted to."

Lexie released my sweaty hand, discretely wiped the sweat on her jacket, then pushed her fingers through her hair like I had done a few minutes ago. She did that when she was frustrated. "Noah, how long have you been awake?" she asked.

"Long enough," he grinned then shot me a wink that let me know he'd seen Lexie and me holding hands. I'm not sure why, but I blushed a little.

"How am I going to tell Uncle Jason that his son may be dead?" Lexie sounded exasperated.

"I don't think he's dead, Lexie," I said. "I know the Hunters are good at what they do, but so is the Rebellion. As slippery as Finn and Barka have been in the past, I'd bet money they got away."

"You're probably right," Lexie nodded. "Those weasel rats probably fled back into their hole."

Since we were all awake now and our stomachs were grumbling, we went to the dining car and ate a late lunch. It was already after two in the afternoon. As I promised, I bought Lexie a steak dinner, and though it wasn't gourmet, she still ate it with gusto. As for me, I tore up two plates of spaghetti, and Noah ate an entire pizza by himself. Needless to say, we were famished.

After we filled our bellies, we went back to our seats and passed out again. When I woke, it was dark outside. Most of the other passengers were sleeping, but I noticed Noah was awake. I glanced over at Lexie to see that she was still asleep.

"What time is it?" I asked Noah as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

He glanced at his watch. "Almost midnight."

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour. That pizza I ate earlier has been turning cartwheels in my stomach, and the motion of the train isn't helping the matter," he grumbled. "I'm _so_ ready to be back in New York."

"You and me both."

"Hey, don't forget that we gotta take that scroll to Brooklyn when we get there."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," I assured him. "I've been dreading it, actually. With my luck, I'll probably be attacked by this Khufu person."

"Well, if that happens, I got your back…though I don't know how much help I'll be without a weapon."

"Well, at least you have your powers to fall back on. Oh, by the way, what happened to your katana?" I asked. I'd noticed that Noah wasn't carrying it anymore, but I hadn't mentioned it until now.

"The Rebellion took it when they captured Lily and me," he groaned. Well, someone in the Rebellion got themselves a nice toy. Noah's katanas—and he had several—were wicked handcrafted blades, and he hated losing or damaging one, because they took so long to forge.

"How'd that happen, anyway?" I asked. "How'd they capture you two?"

"They were trailing us, and there were too many for us to shake," he explained. "Running would've just gotten us killed, so we had no choice but to let them take us. That's when Lily put in the call to her Hunters that we were in trouble. The wolves were the first to arrive, and Lily used the handkerchief with your scent on it so the wolves could track you. By the time we found the warehouse, the Hunters had arrived and we set up an ambush."

"I'm surprised they helped in my rescue," I said, and I really was. Hunters coming to the aid of a boy was just unheard of.

"Lily was pretty pissed about what Barka did to you in the cemetery. Not as pissed as Lexie and I were, but she wasn't going to let him get away with what he did. And she wanted revenge for Echo."

"Echo," I sighed. It pained me to watch that wolf die. She was a good wolf and helped us out a lot on the quest. I imagine, to Lily, losing that wolf was like losing a friend. "I didn't even offer Lily my condolences." I felt like crap for not doing that.

"I did," Noah said. "She told me Echo would be back someday."

I closed my eyes. "I hope so."

Over the next two hours and between Noah's many trips to the restroom, he and I talked about what happened to us after Bourbon Street. We discussed the Hunters, the Rebellion, and the need for us to up our game if we wanted to defeat our mortal enemies. We also chatted about normal stuff: skateboards, video games, baseball, girls. It was nice to sit and goof with my best friend.

Around 2 a.m., we'd both fallen asleep again, and I didn't wake until Lexie shook my shoulder. "CJ," she said. "CJ, we're here. We're in the city."

I yawned and opened my eyes to see that we were stopped at Penn Station, and the passengers were disembarking. We grabbed our things, exited the train, and walked through the station to the Seventh Avenue subway line to get a ride to Brooklyn. Keeping my word to Thoth was my first priority now that we were back in New York. I swiped my MetroCard for all three of us, and we hopped on the train to Brooklyn.

"Where exactly is this Brooklyn House?" Lexie asked. On the long Amtrak ride, I'd told her about the scroll Thoth had given me and my task to deliver it to Khufu.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure. I know it's on the east side. Thoth said to look at the eastern skyline, and I'd see it."

Once in Brooklyn, we got off the subway and out onto the streets. The snow I'd driven through on the way down to New Orleans hadn't missed New York. The ground was covered in snow. It was a white Christmas.

We took a cab to the east side of Brooklyn where we found a tall parking structure where we could get a good look at the skyline. We rode the elevator to the top floor and scanned east Brooklyn.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," Noah said as he looked out at Brooklyn.

"Thoth said we'd have to concentrate really hard," I said. "I bet it's hidden by a veil like the Mist."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath of crisp air, and looked back out at the skyline. And there it was. I blinked. It wasn't there a minute ago. I looked again, and it was still there—a mansion sitting atop a five-story warehouse. It was built from enormous limestone blocks and had a terrace that wrapped around it. The windows were lined with shining gold designs, which from this distance, I couldn't really tell what they were, but I'd bet they were hieroglyphs.

"There," I pointed at the limestone house. "It's a mansion. Do you see it?" I asked Noah and Lexie.

They both squinted in the direction I was pointing. Lexie shook her head. "No, I don't see anything that looks like a mansion."

"Yeah, CJ, I don't see it either," Noah said.

"Concentrate," I told them. "Now look again."

They looked hard toward the mansion, but I could tell they couldn't see it. "I got nothing, CJ," Lexie said.

Seriously? "How can you not see it? You have more godly blood than I do. This should be a piece of cake for you." I walked up behind her and pointed at the mansion where she could look straight down my arm and use it as a guide. I rested my chin on her shoulder and said, "Look where I'm pointing and imagine a huge limestone mansion with gold trimmed windows and a wrap-around terrace."

She tilted her head and concentrated on where I was pointing. She jumped suddenly. Her shoulder popped my chin hard enough it would've broken a normal person's teeth. "I see it!" she gasped.

"About time," I teased, and she gave me the stink-eye.

"Well, I still don't see it," Noah grumbled.

"Let's get closer, and maybe you'll be able to see it," Lexie said to Noah.

We rode the elevator down to the street and took a cab to the block where we'd seen the mansion. As we walked down the street, Noah kept looking up at the rootops, trying to see the mansion, and finally, when we were right on top of the warehouse, he saw it.

"How did I not see it before?" he wondered. "It's so obvious."

When we got to the warehouse, we found a fire escape that we could climb to get to the roof where the mansion sat.

"Stay alert, guys," Lexie said as she started up the fire escape. "We don't know what we're walking into."

We got no surprises as we went up the fire escape, and all was quiet on the roof, too. We cautiously walked to the entrance of the mansion, which was a block of wood with no handles or knobs.

"Uh, do we knock?" Noah asked about the solid wood door.

I pulled the scroll from my pack and raised my hand to knock. "I guess that's the only option," I said, then knocked on the door.

I pulled my pen from my pocket, but didn't transform it into my sword. I didn't want to be mistaken as a threat, but I did want my weapon handy. A moment passed with no answer, and I was about to knock again when an opening appeared in the solid block of wood. Standing in the opening was a teenage guy. He looked about my age, had dark skin and hair, and was wearing white cotton pajamas.

He smiled. "Merry Christmas," he said cheerily.

"Uh, Merry Christmas," I replied. I wasn't expecting such a pleasant reception. "I'm Chase Jackson. Thoth asked me to deliver this scroll to Khufu."

"Oh," he said then glanced over his shoulder and called Khufu to the door. He turned back to me and offered his hand. "Seth Kane," he introduced himself, and I shook his hand. "Which nome are you guys from?" he asked us.

"Nome?" I asked. "I don't follow."

His brow furrowed. "You're not magicians?" he asked. "Not of Egyptian blood?"

Magicians? What was this guy talking about? "Um, no," I said. "We're Greek."

"Oh," he nodded. "I see. Different pantheon."

Just then, a baboon came to the door, barked, then took the scroll out of my hand and disappeared back into the house.

"That was Khufu. He says thanks for the scroll," Seth said. "Anything else?"

I shook my head. "No, that was it."

"Okay, well, you guys have a good Christmas. Excuse me," he said then the opening in the door closed.

"Wow, that was easy," Noah said with surprise.

I shrugged. "Not everyone is a hostile enemy. I think we forget that sometimes."

"Come on," Lexie said and waved us over to the fire escape. "Let's get back to Manhattan."


	14. Chapter 14

14. Merry Christmas

Final Chapter

It was 10 a.m. on Christmas morning, and I was so glad to finally be going home. After we dropped Noah off at Nico and Rachel's apartment in Lincoln Square, the cab pulled over to the curb in front of the Brownstone my parents and I lived in. I paid the cabbie, and Lexie and I walked up the steps to my house.

"Nice place," she complimented. When she'd lived in Manhattan eight years ago, she and her mother lived in the same apartment building as my parents and me. Those apartments were small and were in Washington Heights. My parents had since bought a two-level Brownstone here on the Upper West Side. "How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"Uh," I scratched my head and thought about it. How long had it been? "We moved in when I was eleven, I think."

I opened the front door to my house, and Lexie and I walked in to the smell of fresh baked cookies. My mouth watered. Mom's Christmas cookies were to die for.

"Well, look what Santa dragged in," Dad smiled as he came walking toward the foyer.

"Hey, Dad," I said, giving him a little smile. It was good to see him.

He ruffled my mop of black hair like he always did, then wrapped an arm around me, giving me an embarrassing hug right there in front of Lexie. "You two alright?" he asked.

I nodded. "We're fine. Just tired."

"I bet," he said then turned to Lexie and gave her a hug, too. "It's good to see you, sweetheart. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," she said to my dad.

"Percy," my mom called from the kitchen. "Is that them?"

"You'd better go hug your Mom's neck," Dad said to me as he gripped my shoulders and steered me toward the kitchen. "She's been worried."

We walked into the kitchen as Mom was putting a ham into the oven. The kitchen was a little messy where she'd been prepping Christmas dinner. It took all my willpower to walk past the tray of sugar cookies that were sitting on the counter to cool. Lexie and Dad couldn't resist, though. They both grabbed a cookie.

Mom turned to me, and wiped her hands on her apron. She had a look of great relief on her face. I gave her a hug, and said, "I wrecked your car, Mom. I'm sorry." I don't know why that was the first thing I said to her.

"I know," she said as she fussed with my messy hair like moms do. "The Virginia State Police called me. They said they found it totaled and abandoned on the side of the interstate. I tried to call you to make sure you were okay, but I kept getting your voicemail."

"Uh, yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "My phone drowned."

"When you went into the Mississippi River?"

I blinked. How'd she know about that? "How…"

"Katie Stoll called us. Apparently Morgan had quite a few visions of you guys on the quest. They kept us in the loop," she explained.

I cringed at that. "That's…frightening."

Mom laughed. She knew Morgan and I weren't exactly chummy. She handed me a cookie. "Here, eat that then go take a shower. You stink."

I rolled my eyes. "Why, thank you, Mom. I love you, too."

She smirked and pinched my cheek to annoy me then walked over to Lexie. "We're so happy you're spending Christmas with us," Mom smiled as she gripped Lexie's shoulders. "We've missed you around here."

Lexie hugged my mom and said, "I've missed you guys, too. And sorry, I probably stink, too. There wasn't a shower in my tomb. "

It was meant to be funny, but I didn't laugh. I cringed at the words _my tomb_, because if things hadn't worked out the way they did, she very well could've died in there. That wasn't funny at all.

"Well, we have two showers here, sweetie," Mom said to her. "You can take the one in mine and Percy's bathroom."

Lexie smiled. "Thanks," she said, then turned to me. "CJ, you got some sweats or something I can borrow? All my clothes were in the luggage I checked at the airport, and it's probably in the lost and found at LaGuardia now."

"No, it's not," I said, remembering that I'd grabbed her luggage. "It's in the backseat of my Jeep. When I went to pick you up from the airport, I pulled it off the carousel before I left. I'll go get it for you."

"Oh…thanks, CJ."

"You're welcome," I said, then grabbed my keys and went out back where my Jeep was parked to get Lexie's suitcase.

When I came back in, Mom and Dad were in the kitchen. Dad was peeling potatoes and Mom was rolling out a piecrust. They were laughing about something when I walked in.

"Where's Lexie?" I asked them.

"Shower. Just leave her bag by the bathroom door," Mom said then sternly pointed the rolling pin at me. " And no peeking, young man."

"_Gah, Mom_," I groaned, then left the kitchen before she could embarrass me anymore than she already had.

I walked through my parents' bedroom toward their bathroom. The bathroom door was open a little and steam was rolling out. I could hear the shower running and smell Lexie's signature lavender soap. And I know Mom said no peeking, but the door was open just enough that I caught a glimpse of Lexie's silhouette on the shower door.

I tapped on the bathroom door. "Hey, Lexie," I called. "I'm gonna leave your suitcase here by the door."

"Okay," she called from the shower. "Thanks."

I took one more deep breath of lavender then went upstairs to take a long hot shower. After rolling on the ground in a cemetery, being balled up on a dirty warehouse floor, and riding on an Amtrak for a day, I was filthy, and it felt so good to be clean again.

I was in my room, digging through a drawer for a tee shirt when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

I heard the door open and Lexie say, "Wow."

"Admiring my muscles?" I teased as I grabbed a tee shirt and pulled it on.

She smirked. "I've seen your muscles, and I'm not impressed. But your room," she said, looking around in amazement. "It's clean…really clean. Like OCD clean."

I shrugged. "Yeah, messy is my pet peeve. I'll make a good housewife one day."

She laughed out loud, which was great to hear. I wanted her to laugh and be happy while she was here.

I turned on my TV and game console and said, "Now grab that controller and park your butt on my bed."

We'd played video games sometimes when we were kids. Racing games were her favorite, and I just so happened to have one in my collection. She smiled and took a controller off the shelf where I kept all my gaming stuff and sat down on the foot of my bed. I sat down beside her as the game loaded.

"U of M?" I asked, pointing at the University of Miami tee shirt she was wearing. "You thinking about going there?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't thought a lot about college, yet. What about you? Do you know where you'll be going?"

"Columbia…if I get in."

She smiled and nudged my shoulder with hers. "Ivy league," she beamed. "Impressive."

"Honestly, I'd rather go to UConn to play baseball, but Mom insists I try to get into Columbia."

"Insistent mother," she sighed. "I know that feeling."

I knew she meant her mother's persistence that she join the Hunt, but that wasn't something I wanted to talk about. I told her I wouldn't pressure her in any way, so I felt it was best to avoid the subject if I could. Luckily, the game loaded at that moment.

When she saw the game on the screen, she squealed, "Racing!" Then she playfully punched my shoulder. "You remembered."

"Still your favorite, huh?" I laughed.

"Of course, and I'm even better at it than I was back when we were kids, so you'd better watch out," she warned me.

"Oh, I think I can still beat you."

She shot me a narrow-eyed smirk. "Bring it on."

We played for hours, laughing and chatting and occasionally whooping and hollering as we raced our computer animated cars. It was a blast. It reminded me of how much fun we used to have together when we were little. Back then we'd lay on our stomachs side by side on the living room floor, controllers in hand and staring up at the TV. We'd nudge each other with our shoulders and kick at each other's bare feet to try to cause the other to wreck. And that was how we ended up now.

We were nearing the end of a race, and Lexie's car was trailing mine by a length. She nudged me hard with her shoulder, and I lost my balance, but recovered before she could take the lead.

"Get out of my way!"

"You're not gonna pass me before the last turn!"

"You wanna bet!"

"Face it! I'm still a better racer than you!"

"What is going on in here?" I heard Dad say as he stepped through the open doorway.

His sudden appearance was just enough to distract me, and I wasn't prepared for Lexie's elbow that caught me in the ribs and sent me rolling off the bed and crashing onto the floor, which sent Dad into a fit of laughter.

"I win!" Lexie celebrated as her car crossed the finish line before mine.

"You cheated," I corrected her as I pulled myself up off the carpet.

She turned to my dad who was still laughing. "Percy, did I cheat?"

"Looked like a fair win to me," he laughed.

"Oh, yeah, take her side," I grumbled. I wasn't really upset, just playing the part of the sore loser. I was actually happy, very happy, happier than I'd been in a really long time. And it was all because of Lexie.

"Come on, you two," Dad said, waving for us to follow him downstairs. "Supper's ready."

Supper was amazing. Mom and Dad were actually really good cooks. Our Christmas dinner included ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, and homemade apple pie. And it all was delicious.

During the meal, we told my parents what had happened over the last few days. They listened with great interest and their gestures and body language made it clear that they'd been in similar situations before. I already knew they had; they'd said as much, and I'd seen some of their struggles in dreams.

After we ate, Lexie and I helped Mom clean up the kitchen while Dad went into the living room to start a fire in the fireplace. Once the kitchen was clean, Mom grabbed the bottle of wine she and Dad had been drinking at dinner, and Lexie and I grabbed a root beer from the fridge, then we went to the living room to exchange Christmas gifts.

Lexie and I settled on the floor by the fireplace, Mom got cozy on the loveseat with her glass of wine, and Dad took up position as Santa by the Christmas tree.

"In honor of our guest," Dad said as he pulled a gift out from under the tree. "Lexie gets to open the first present."

Dad handed Lexie the gift box, and she read the tag. It was from my mom and dad. "You didn't have to get me anything," she said to them.

Mom waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Now open your gift."

She opened the box and inside was a framed photo. It was a picture of her and me when we were eight. We were sitting on a bench by the lion exhibit at the Central Park Zoo eating ice cream cones. We were smiling like crazy for the camera and had chocolate ice cream all over our faces. Even I'll admit it was kind of adorable.

"Gods, I remember that day," Lexie smiled at the photo. "We had so much fun, didn't we?"

I remembered that day, too. "Yeah, that was a really fun day."

"I found that in an old shoe box full of photos," Mom said to Lexie. "I thought you'd like to have it."

"Thank you, Annabeth. I love it."

We opened more presents. Mom loved the leather-bound sketchbook I got her and the diamond tennis bracelet she got from Dad. She was also thrilled with the promise from Dad that they'd go car shopping next week…you know, since I'd totaled her Volvo. Dad and I were ecstatic about the Knicks and Mets season tickets Mom got us. That was the best present ever.

When it came time to give Lexie her gift from me, I was surprised that she pulled a present out from under the tree first and gave it to me. "I got you a little something," she smiled.

I unwrapped the gift and opened the box. Inside was a baseball housed in a display case. The ball was autographed, and it was personalized. I read the message, "CJ, work hard, play hard, and love the game. David Wright." I blinked. "Oh, my gods. _The_ _David Wright_. He's the best infielder in Mets history." I was astounded. What a great gift. David Wright had been my favorite Met since I became a baseball fan, and he'd autographed that ball just for me. Suddenly the charm I got for Lexie seemed like a pretty crummy gift. "How did you get this?" I asked her.

"He's my brother."

My mouth was gaped open. "David Wright is a son of Apollo?"

She nodded. "You'd be surprised how many professional athletes are demigods or legacies."

I admired the ball then turned to Lexie. "I love it. Thank you so much."

She smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

I grabbed the last gift under the tree and handed it to her. She unwrapped it and opened the felt box to reveal the gold arrow charm I'd found at Tiffany. "It's beautiful, CJ," she exhaled. I think she really did like it.

"I thought you could put it on your bead necklace," I said, pointing at the necklace around her neck.

She took her bead necklace off her neck, clipped the arrow charm to the middle of it, then put it back on. "How does it look?" she asked.

It looked beautiful against her tanned skin. I smiled. "It looks perfect on you," I told her.

"I love it, CJ," she said as she ran her fingers over the charm. "Thank you."

I thought I was going to luck out and get a kiss on the cheek from Lexie, but Dad interrupted the moment by saying, "Lexie, we normally watch a Christmas classic after we open presents. Will you do the honors of picking out the movie?"

"Sure," she said, then wandered over to the dvd rack to select a movie.

Mom and Dad began cleaning up the strewn wrapping paper, and I went to the kitchen to pop some popcorn and grab a couple more root beers.

As I was reaching into the fridge for the root beers, I saw Lexie out of the corner of my eye. She was walking down the hallway toward the kitchen. "There you are," she smiled when she saw me.

I closed the refrigerator door with my foot, because my hands were full with a bowl of popcorn and two bottles of root beer. I matched her smile. "Worried about me?" I asked.

"We could smell the popcorn burning," she said as she crossed her arms and casually leaned against the frame of the vaulted archway that separated the kitchen from the hall that led into the living room.

"Yeah, that microwave is on steroids…or maybe crack."

She laughed at my excuse for semi-scorching the popcorn. "Can I help you carry something?" she asked, pulling herself away from the wall.

"Sure," I said and offered her the two bottles of root beer that were wedged in my right hand.

She quickly took them, noticing I was about to drop them. Before we started for the living room, she stopped me. "Hey, thanks for coming after me in New Orleans," she said. "And for asking me to spend Christmas with you and your family."

"You're always welcome here, you know that. And as for coming after you, that's what friends do. They rescue each other from the bad guys," I said then pointed at her then myself. "Case and point."

"We do that a lot these days, don't we? Come to each other's rescue."

"Well, no matter how embarrassing it may be, there's no one I'd rather come to my rescue than you."

"Are you saying you're embarrassed to be rescued by a girl?" she mocked-hurt. She knew that wasn't what I meant.

"No, I'm embarrassed to have to be rescued at all."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I know the feeling." She closed her eyes and tilted her head back in exasperation. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the ceiling and she tilted her head to the side in query. I followed her gaze up to the top of the vaulted archway we were standing under to see what she was looking at. "Mistletoe," she said about the plant hanging in the archway directly above us.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Dad puts it there every Christmas so he can get a kiss from Mom every time they pass through. He's kinda cheesy like that."

"Nothing wrong with a little cheese every once in a while," she grinned.

Yeah, if it was _only_ every once in a while, but when it came to Mom, Dad was always cheesy. I think that was the only thing that kept him from sleeping on the couch most nights of the week. His goofy charm won her over every time.

I shrugged. "I guess not."

"Well?" she said expectantly.

"Well, what?" I asked.

"Well, are you gonna kiss me or not?"

I nearly dropped the bowl of popcorn. She'd just given me permission to kiss her! I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest and run the New York City Marathon. I'd wanted to kiss her for so long and here was my chance. I couldn't screw it up. _Don't screw it up, CJ!_

Be smooth, I thought as my shaking hands shifted the bowl of popcorn to my left side. I smiled at the beautiful face before me and slowly leaned in. I kissed her…and she kissed me back. It wasn't a passionate kiss; it was simple. It was a soft, pleasantly long kiss on the lips that had me closing my eyes and praying that it would never end.

When her lips separated from mine, I opened my eyes to find myself staring into hers. "Merry Christmas, CJ," she smiled softly, her voice just a whisper.

I smiled, too. "Merry Christmas, Lexie."

**AN: I want to thank all of the readers and reviewers for taking the time to read **_**Deliverance**_** and for all the wonderful reviews. I truly appreciate every single one of you. I hope everyone enjoyed this fourth installment of **_**Heroes and Legacies**_**, and I hope to see everyone back for book 5. I'm going to take a few weeks off from writing to catch up on some reading, but the first chapter of **_**Heroes and Legacies Book 5: Under the Influence **_**should be published in about a month, and I hope to update it weekly. The summary for **_**H&L 5**_** is on my bio. Again, thanks for reading and for all the support. -dmac**


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